Shopee Malaysia hosted #RayaBersamaShopee Marketplaces: Towards a More Inclusive and Participative Economy today, a virtual forum that discussed the role of technology in assisting neglected areas. YB Senator Datuk Ras Adiba, Chairman of Malaysian National News Agency (BERNAMA) and President of OKU Sentral, Dr. Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid, Chief Economist of Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad, and Kenneth Soh, Head of Marketing Campaigns at Shopee Malaysia, were the panel’s keynote speakers.
Emphasizing the challenges of the OKU community in participating in the mainstream economy, YB Senator Datuk Ras Adiba said, “The Internet saved our lives. It gave us access to communication. As many of us are home bound, the Internet is a way for us to reach out and learn new skills, trades and survive. Those of us who did not have money, selling things via the Internet really helped us and lifted us up.”
“In addition, online business classes allowed us to be economically resourceful and see ourselves like any other business person. For those of us who cannot go out, this allows us to do it from home.”
Furthermore, as a country, she said that much needs to be done to help the underserved community. “The government must give grants, loans, and coaching. The training Shopee is providing for online sellers is vital. For those of us who cannot go out, these programs enable us to work and earn a living from home.”
Speaking on the impact of e-commerce in driving mainstream economic inclusion, Dr. Mohd Afzanizam said, “The proliferation of e-commerce has allowed small businesses to be more agile in coping with operational challenges brought by the pandemic. Good measures of progress on this front are rising income and expenditure on e-commerce platforms,” according to him.
According to the #RayaBersamaShopee study of over two thousand participating sellers from 18 March to 18 April 2022, 70% of whom are female, are empowered to provide for their families while retaining the freedom to accommodate their own households. During the last Raya season, these individual sellers made close to a thousand ringgit each, mainly by selling women’s fashion and accessories, as well as Health & Beauty products. As a result, these female sellers were capable of supporting more than three family dependents on average. The majority of them are from Klang Valley or Johor, although many are from Malaysian rural areas such as Kedah, Kelantan, Perak, Sabah, and Terengganu. % of these sellers are between the ages of 30 and 39, and % are between the ages of 18 and 30.
“Our marketplace survey found that every local seller selling Made in Malaysia products supports on average more than five household dependents across the nation. Through our hyper-localised campaigns like #RayaBersamaShopee, sellers in rural areas can promote their products to consumers more easily. Our key differentiator is our localised strategy in digitalising rural communities and digital upskilling. That’s how #ShopeeSapotLokal drives e-commerce growth in a sustainable and inclusive way on behalf of all our sellers and the communities they support,” said Kenneth Soh, Head of Marketing Campaigns at Shopee Malaysia.
Overall, Shopee sellers in the survey indicated that, in order of importance, their top preparations for this Raya are increasing inventory stocks, offering festive discounts, and introducing new types of products based on consumer trends.
- Shopee’s sellers are very optimistic about e-commerce opportunities: 40% of sellers surveyed expect 50% or more sales growth from their online store this Raya period
- 70% of Shopee’s sellers surveyed are utilizing Shopee’s Free Shipping Voucher
- Their most liked Shopee Seller Support features are: Shopee Ads (48%) followed by Shopee Feed and Bump Up products features
On 16 June 2022, the #ShopeeSapotLokal initiative will continue with Shopee Malaysia’s annual Seller Summit 2022, with the theme “Level Up: Driving Growth Together,” which will bring together sellers nationwide for the first time online and in-person to share experiences and learn from one another. In addition to industry expert insights, Shopee University’s e-commerce upskilling on marketing, sales, and operations will be shared.