- 1 in 6 orders were made by first-time users, while the number of Shopee sellers outside major cities grew by 70% in 2021
Southeast Asia’s technology adoption has accelerated, with 40 million new digital users added in 2021. Shopee is driving digital inclusion by allowing more people and businesses to grasp new opportunities online as adoption grows.
Shopee, Southeast Asia’s and Taiwan’s leading e-commerce platform, celebrates the region’s digital economy’s growth and explores the influence of e-commerce and digital financial services on local communities in 2021.
More people have been able to access and benefit from technology in 2021 thanks to Shopee. 1 in 6 Shopee orders in the region was placed by a first-time user, and the number of sellers outside of major cities increased by 70% since 2020. Shopee also provided more fun and convenience while developing talent to thrive in the expanding digital economy.
Kenneth Soh, Head of Marketing Campaigns at Shopee Malaysia said,“In 2021, Shopee stayed true to our mission to benefit our local communities through technology, especially the underserved. With more people and businesses coming online, we continued to innovate and serve their needs better, adapting to the new ways people live, work, and shop. As we become more connected, we can make a bigger impact on one another and more importantly, uplift others so that no one is left behind. This is how we forge new opportunities and create value for our communities. Let’s work towards a more vibrant and inclusive digital economy together.”
Fostering inclusion and growth
With Shopee, more local communities and companies will be able to access and benefit from the digital economy by 2021.
According to Shopee’s 3.15 Consumer Day post-campaign findings, the number of Malaysian rural and community businesses participating as Shopee Marketplace vendors has risen 7.5 fold since January 2020 to date.
- Widening access: Shopee has continued to make online buying and selling easier for everybody. Throughout the year, it launched localised campaigns tailored to match consumers’ changing needs and expanded its delivery network, enabling users to shop and receive purchases with confidence, even in more rural areas. It also increased its outreach to help more MSMEs in digitising, especially local producers and farmers at the heart of local economies. Highlights from the region include:
- 70% year on year growth in the number of Shopee sellers outside big cities
- 1 in 6 orders in 2021 were made by users new to Shopee, while the number of Shopee users outside big cities grew by 40%
- The number of ShopeePay users outside of big cities surged 2.5 times, as more people enjoyed the convenience of digital payments, while ShopeePay connected online and offline merchants to new customers.
- Uplifting livelihoods: Local businesses used Shopee to translate their digital presence into tangible gains in income and livelihoods. Shopee developed new tools and features in 2021 to increase local sellers’ exposure on its site. One example was the #ShopeeSapotLokal effort, which highlighted sellers and helped them in reaching out to more consumers and increasing their customer base. Highlights from the region include:
- Over 1,000 local sellers exceeded US$100,000 (RM439,450) in sales in 3 days of Shopee’s year-end festivals – 9 September, 11 November, and 12 December
- First time online sellers also saw a big boost at the year-end, with sales for new-to-Shopee sellers surging by up to 18 times on 11 November
- ShopeePay Near Me, a new feature that helps users discover deals for offline merchants around them, created 5 million in-store transactions for partners
Unlocking brand growth: Shopee Mall has continued to pave the path for its brand partners, pioneering novel solutions and tools to assist long-term success. As 42 million users made their first purchase on Shopee Mall in 2021, brand partners saw strong growth momentum and accomplished new milestones, while 5 partners achieved US$100 million (RM439,449,949) in GMV.
Uplifting communities
In 2021, Shopee continued to equip local talents, entrepreneurs, and the community with new skills to succeed in the digital economy of today and tomorrow.
- Developing tech talent: Shopee increased its efforts to engage and upskill local tech talents and enthusiasts. More than 20,000 participants took part in Shopee’s tech training initiatives, including its “Tech@Shopee” webinars and the Shopee Code League competition. At Shopee, 8 in 10 employees learned new skills at Shopee Academy, with over 27,000 training hours in total.
- Levelling up local businesses : Shopee has continued to expand its learning resources to help all types of businesses in preparing for an online world. Its digital Shopee University curriculum allows more sellers to conveniently access vital e-commerce courses and skills from everywhere, while its online Seller Education Hub offers a wide range of courses catered to all levels, from experienced business owners to aspiring entrepreneurs. 1.3 million sellers had enrolled in Shopee University courses as of 2021.
Giving back to communities in need
In Malaysia, Shopee used its platform and resources to accelerate pandemic recovery, and support local communities in most need.
- Supporting communities in need: Shopee donated more than 60,000 ‘Kotak Kasih Shopee’ food aid boxes to communities in need nationwide such as residents in low-cost housing, welfare homes, and Orang Asli villages.
- Contributing to pandemic recovery: In partnership with several State Governments and the Federal Territories Ministry, ShopeePay sponsored 120 pushcarts and provided carefully tailored incentives to B40 micro traders affected by the pandemic.