Shopee Influencers Champion Human-Centric E-commerce in 2024

Shopee Malaysia officially unveiled the ‘Championing Inclusive Commerce 2024’ study of over 3,000 Shopee Affiliates. The study discovered that 9 in 10 Affiliates are feeling positive for their e-commerce opportunities in 2024. These affiliates are excited to humanise e-commerce with increased personalisation, engage with more users on posts and livestreams, and drive more traffic for local sellers aligned with their values.

The Rise of Human-Centric Content 

When asked on the e-commerce trends they are most excited to embrace in 2024, 75% of affiliates were enthusiastic about creating more personalised content for their audiences. Shopee Affiliates want to have more authentic engagements with their audiences (30%), seek to personalise their content further through product education posts and livestreams (30%), while the remaining want to collaborate with more local businesses to drive awareness (15%). 

“Our affiliates are leading the charge in humanising e-commerce, providing users with original content and ultimately, building a stronger competitive edge for our local brands and sellers. This powerful statement tells us that Malaysian consumers are craving something real. They're tired of the perfectly polished posts on their feeds. They want to connect with real people, with relatable stories, and genuine experiences,” said Kenneth Soh, Head of Marketing at Shopee Malaysia, during the launch of the study today.

Shopee’s E-Commerce Leadership Fuels Unprecedented Economic Inclusion

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia & Taiwan, today revealed demonstrated proof of Malaysia’s radically inclusive digital economy by concluding 2023 with over 1 million Malaysians registered to stream on Shopee Live and over 450,000 new homegrown sellers, influencers, and affiliates incorporated into its marketplace ecosystem nationwide*. Inclusive by design, Shopee’s trifecta of collaborative government partnerships, free Shopee University upskilling programs, and seamless marketplace technology drove home the power of authenticity and hyper-localisation at scale in achieving real social equity. The impact on economic empowerment is clear: this year alone, 80 thousand sellers boosted earnings by 25% year on year, while affiliate orders grew 420% and livestream orders grew 500% respectively. 

“While our DNA is digital, and we bring the conveniences of virtual commerce, every one of our local sellers, influencers, and affiliates are real people building real communities on the ground. Not only are we direct to the community, but we are also highly passionate when it comes to using technology to help the underserved. Malaysians who shop from us have direct relationships with our sellers on Seller Chat, Shopee Live, and greet SPX couriers at the door. Malaysian brands and sellers align with our platform because our Shopee Guarantee, Shopee Mall, and 360 Marketing Solutions enable them to showcase how their values align with the values of our customers and are a force for social good,” explained Kenneth Soh, Head of Marketing at Shopee Malaysia.

Shopee Live Opens Up New Channel Opportunities at Scale

In 2023, Malaysians engaged with local influencer hosts 3.5 billion times on Shopee Live and the platform recorded 1 million local streamers registered since its inception in 2019. By investing in high quality studio production and KOL livestream services, increasing livestream touchpoints across the user journey, and offering in-stream tools to optimize livestreams for conversions, Shopee Live has become a key channel for discovery of locally made products.

Over the last 12 months, livestream orders surged by an impressive 500% compared to the previous year. The adoption of Shopee Live by new local sellers saw a remarkable ten-fold increase in sales and a sixteen-fold surge in orders compared to the previous year

Documentary "Shopee Rai Lokal" Premieres at Shopee Super Awards 2023

The groundbreaking documentary "Shopee Rai Lokal” premiered on 14 December 2023 at Shopee Super Awards 2023, held at the Majestic Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. The film follows the stories of three homegrown sellers who have shattered barriers and achieved success on e-commerce.

"This film is a love letter to Malaysian entrepreneurs," said Shopee Head of Marketing, Kenneth Soh. "We want to remind Malaysians buying local that behind the online storefronts, there are many people and communities who our sellers support; this documentary is a testament to their intelligence, resilience, and values.”

"Shopee Rai Lokal'' is an inspiring and thought-provoking look at the challenges and triumphs of sellers in their journey to finding their niche online. The film features interviews with Edward Wong of HomeDecoStore, Felicia Tan of Mamami Shoppe, and Mohd Zaid of Lampu Cherita. They share their personal stories of overcoming obstacles, starting small, and achieving sustained growth in their respective fields.

The documentary, Shopee’s first in Malaysia, was produced in collaboration with Khairil M. Bahar, an award-winning indie filmmaker who is known for Ciplak (2006), Relationship Status (2012), Cuak (2014) and Kickflip (2020). His work has been featured at numerous film festivals, television, and streaming networks.

“By sharing this documentary, we hope to inspire others to reach for their dreams online. We are also making it easy for Malaysians to shop local by spotlighting super star sellers and capturing their stories,” said Soh.

Shopee Super Awards 2023 is a major e-commerce industry awards held annually in Kuala Lumpur proving the win-win relationship between online communities driving economic inclusion on e-commerce and Shopee’s role in enabling that. The event, attended by Ainul Aishah, Ceddy Ang, Dato' Jovian, Dato' Siti Nurhaliza, Dolla, Neelofa, Nuex Rosli, Zoey Rahman, and more, celebrated the achievements of 100 beloved brands, homegrown sellers, and outstanding talents that achieved exceptional growth in online sales.

Award winners excelled on e-commerce by consistently taking part in Shopee’s upskilling programmes: attending free courses on Shopee University, networking at Shopee Seller Summit, leveraging Shopee Marketing Solutions, participating in free educational KOL masterclasses, exchanging ideas at Shopee House, and growing their personal brand via Shopee Live.

Edward Wong, the founder of HomeDecoStore, discovered his entrepreneurial calling on Shopee after being forced to give up his job as a flight instructor due to the pandemic. Teaching himself how to operate all aspects of his startup, he explored various ventures online before stumbling upon a unique opportunity when he collaborated with his E-commerce Assistant, Asmanissa Kamaruzaman: the mini sejadah (prayer mat). Edward's customer engagement on Shopee Live transcends cultural barriers, allowing him to integrate customer preferences into his sejadah designs seamlessly while respecting religious sensitivities. HDS Sejadah Muka has become HomeDecoStore's best-selling item, bulk purchases of up to 10,000 pieces in two to three weeks, for special occasions like kenduri (banquet/feast). To Edward, these prayer mats symbolise appreciation for Malaysia’s cultural diversity and traditions.

Shopee's 12.12 Birthday Sale Offers Exclusive Prizes and Rewards

Get ready for the grand finale of the year's shopping extravaganza! Shopee is rolling out the red carpet for its 12.12 Birthday Sale happening from 1 December until 15 December. The event promises an array of unbeatable deals, heart-pounding games, and jaw-dropping prizes. To sweeten the deal, enjoy the added perk of free shipping with no minimum spend, making this shopping experience even more irresistible!

FREE Shipping with No Minimum Spend!

Experience worry-free shopping on Shopee, the go-to platform for no minimum spend Free Shipping vouchers releasing everyday at 12AM. Enjoy unlimited free shipping daily until 15 December and maximise your savings!

Shopee Live's Roda Shopee Game Show: A Gateway to Toll-Free Journeys!

Get ready to embark on a thrilling journey with Shopee Live's 12.12 Roda Shopee game show hosted by Datuk Aznil Hj Nawawi, featuring special guest celebrity appearances like Faezah Elai, Zara Zya, Zarina Anjoulie, Zoey Rahman, and many others. Shopee has partnered with Touch 'n Go to offer users a chance to win an entire year of toll-free travel.  To enter Roda Shopee, users need to claim their unique code from the contest’s home page and complete one livestream checkout to be included in the pool of users that will be selected raffle-style which unlock the opportunity to spin the wheel for prizes, including the grand prize of 1 Year Free Toll.

Livestreaming and Affiliate Commerce Hit New Heights on Shopee in 2023

Livestreaming and affiliate commerce have driven greater marketplace inclusion for homegrown sellers and local talents across Shopee’s platform in 2023. Over the last year, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia & Taiwan observed that Malaysians watched over 34 million hours of livestreams on Shopee Live and engaged with local influencer hosts 3.5 billion times. For sellers who realised over 500 thousand Ringgit in sales this year, livestream orders represented between 10 and 40% of total platform orders. Compared to 2022, Shopee saw affiliate-driven orders increase 420%, with the inclusion of more than 20,000 new affiliates in its ecosystem this year.

“This marks a significant milestone in Malaysia’s digital transformation journey. These trends have revolutionised the way Malaysians shop, learn, and engage with brands, creating a dynamic and interactive online landscape. It’s also a demonstration of just how hyper-localised e-commerce has become; Malaysians on our platform are favouring local livestreamers and affiliates, whereas our homegrown sellers are upskilling to be more relatable to digitally-savvy audiences.” comments Kenneth Soh, Head of Marketing at Shopee Malaysia.

Shopee Live 9.9 Countdown Concert featuring local talents and hosts

Shoppable livestreaming, the seamless integration of e-commerce into livestreaming sessions, has captivated Malaysian consumers of all ages by providing engaging shopping experiences whether they are looking for motorcycles, keropok lekor, chocolates, gold jewellery, or household groceries. While the majority 60% of Shopee Live fans shopped beauty and fashion, 20% bought groceries and baby products, 10% sought home appliances and electronics, while the remainder shopped Automotive and Sports and Outdoor gear over the last year. 

Dubai Chocolates by PHINIX STORE Go Viral on Shopee Live

PHINIX STORE is the local homegrown seller responsible for making Dubai Chocolates go viral on Shopee Live. Deploying a creative and systematic approach to live selling, founders Husman Setta and Khaled Hassan, also known as Abang Ah Ah switched from a social commerce site to Shopee Live in July 2023 and saw Malaysian candy lovers place more than 1,000 orders per day with them, far outstripping their initial targets of 50 orders a day. 

They attribute their rapid growth, of up to 90% uplift in sales, to the fact that Shopee Live has the right audience familiar with the platform and primed to shop on livestream events, compared to other apps in their experience where audiences were seeking entertainment but not shopping.

Penang Sportswear Brand Promotes Malaysians’ Active Lifestyles on Shopee Live

Earlier this year, Elgini Apparel Sdn Bhd (Elgini), a Penang-based sportswear brand, acquired a 30,000 square foot factory in Nibong Tebal to meet the growing demand for their affordable and high-quality sportswear. Elgini credited the strategic shift to online, with a particular emphasis on live streaming, as one of the key factors for their growing popularity in the local market.

Joining Shopee in November 2020, Elgini immediately started participating actively on the Shopee Live platform after recognising its potential to help sellers grow their online reach, build communities, and better engage with users in real-time. Elgini utilises the platform's tools and features, such as Shopee Coins, Shopee Live Games, and Live-exclusive Vouchers, to increase sales revenue, buyer engagement, and the number of followers.

One of Elgini's proudest achievements is their high rate of customer satisfaction, leading to a significant number of repeat buyers, and they boast 310 thousand followers with 4.9 star ratings from almost 500 thousand reviewers on Shopee.