Ramadan 2025 reshapes Southeast Asia shopping journeys

Criteo reported a year-on-year rise in retail sales across Southeast Asia during Ramadan 2025, alongside signs that shoppers are starting their research earlier and taking longer to decide what to buy.

Its indexed commerce data from retailers across the region showed sales rose 13% over the period. The data also showed earlier product discovery, with conversions clustering closer to the final days of the month.

The findings come ahead of a tighter festive calendar in 2026, when the Chinese New Year and Ramadan fall in the same week. Brands and retailers in Southeast Asia typically plan separate campaigns for each period. If the two converge, demand and marketing activity would be compressed into a narrower window.

Longer journeys

Ramadan shopping in 2025 extended well beyond last-minute purchases. For transactions completed in the last two weeks of Ramadan, the average time between a shopper's first product visit and purchase was 19 days, according to Criteo. Some journeys stretched beyond 50 days.

The figures point to a longer consideration phase across many categories. Earlier browsing and comparison can shift the timing of marketing and merchandising decisions, particularly when consumers revisit products multiple times before buying.

Conversion is still concentrated near Eid, even though discovery began earlier. Indonesia was among the clearest examples of a late surge: retail sales rose 35% in the final two weeks of Ramadan, peaking at 57% on 16 March.

Malaysia showed a similar pattern, with sales up 26% in the final two weeks and a peak uplift of 52% on 23 March. Singapore recorded more stable sales, which Criteo linked to a more diversified retail calendar and consumer base.

Daily rhythms

The data also showed a strong link between shopping behaviour and Ramadan's daily schedule. Online sales peaked during Suhoor, the pre-dawn period before fasting begins, and dipped during Iftar, when families gather to break the fast.

Afternoon hours still generated the highest overall sales, according to the analysis. The largest Ramadan-driven uplift versus the pre-Ramadan period occurred during Suhoor.

Those pre-dawn peaks varied by market. Indonesia saw its strongest increase between 3:00am and 5:00am, while Malaysia's shifted later, between 4:00am and 7:00am.

For consumer brands and retailers, these patterns can shape media buying, promotions, and customer service planning. They also affect logistics and fulfilment, as time-specific demand spikes can influence order processing and delivery cut-offs.

Category shifts

Religious and ceremonial products recorded the strongest sales growth across Southeast Asia during Ramadan 2025, rising 54% year-on-year, according to Criteo. Apparel and accessories followed, up 18% as shoppers prepared for Eid celebrations.

Criteo also reported growth in home and garden, furniture, and food and beverages, suggesting Ramadan demand spans both seasonal celebration purchases and everyday needs.

Compressed calendar

Marketers and retailers already contend with a dense series of promotional moments across Southeast Asia, including local payday cycles and platform-led campaign days. The overlap of Chinese New Year and Ramadan in 2026 would add pressure on budgets, inventory, and campaign planning.

Criteo described the 2025 shift as an early indicator of what could become more pronounced when two major festive events converge. It urged brands to treat Ramadan as a multi-stage season and prepare for compressed demand as major moments overlap.

The company also emphasised the need to align activity with cultural and daily rhythms and to account for non-linear purchase journeys. Campaigns built around a single-funnel assumption can miss shoppers whose intent builds over weeks or shifts across channels.

It also highlighted data-led optimisation and automation as a way to adjust campaigns as demand shifts amid a crowded festive calendar.

"Ramadan 2025 underscored a fundamental shift in how consumers plan and purchase-discovery is happening earlier, and shopping journeys are becoming increasingly fluid across channels," said Sukesh Singh, Managing Director, SEA at Criteo.

"As festive moments begin to overlap, this behaviour will only accelerate. At Criteo, our AI-powered intelligence helps brands identify the right audiences at the right time and place, adding relevance across touchpoints and strengthening full-funnel, cross-channel outcomes. Brands that anticipate demand and stay relevant across the entire journey will be far better positioned to earn attention that drives higher conversion," Singh said.

The insights are based on indexed retail data aggregated across multiple partners in each market, covering Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand.