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-localization 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

• Over 89,000 new affiliates onboarded to drive traffic to local sellers on Shopee Live.

• For sellers who realised over 500 thousand Ringgit in sales this year, livestream orders represented up to 40% of total platform orders.

#ShopeeSapotLokal Partners Government in Building Communities

Shopee’s leading role in partnering with the Malaysian government to ensure that local businesses can scale and succeed with e-commerce can be summed up with #ShopeeSapotLokal initiatives:

• Over 60,000 SME sellers are benefiting from Shopee strategic collaborations with ministries and government agencies, including the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the Ministry of Rural Development, and the Ministry of Trade and Cost of Living.

• Since its launch in June 2021, Pupuk@Shopee Campaigns in collaboration with MCMC’s PEDi’s Centers throughout Malaysia have driven over RM55 million in sales for 29,000 local sellers and boosted their average daily earnings year-on-year by 22%.

• Shopee recently teamed up with the Ministry of Communications and Digital (KKD) in November 2023 to aid 500 National OKU sellers through The OKU Celik Digital Program, pushcarts to assist OKU entrepreneurs and inviting Shopee OKU seller Kelly Chan to provide firsthand experience and tips for navigating the digital marketplace.

• Shopee actively champions Malaysia's small businesses, fostering a digital-first ecosystem for MSMEs in alignment with the government's vision to empower local businesses. Shopee has fully implemented the sales tax on imported low-value goods, serving as a catalyst for domestic MSME growth, reflecting a shared commitment to strengthening the local business landscape through proactive collaboration and alignment with regulatory measures.

Shopee University Teaches High-Value, In-Demand Skills For Free

As one of the largest free digital literacy resources in the country, Shopee University has become a powerhouse for local entrepreneurs, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to thrive in the competitive mobile marketplace. 

• 120,000+ attendees in daily classes, 600+ trained through offline bootcamps, and over 650 reached through community engagement events.

• 39,000 members of ShopeeUni Malaysia Facebook Group, fostering a supportive community of local sellers.

• ShopeeUni's Customized Offline Workshops tailored for OKU sellers: Kelly Chan, who suffered from Child Syndrome, tried making a living through a brick and mortar gift shop after she was amputated at 14. A severe skin condition later proved debilitating, as  she needed the flexibility to manage her health but many other growth platforms presented cash flow struggles and high debt risk. She solved her woes by being the most diligent attendee of Shopee Uni webinars and using the knowledge and tools to build a sustainable online business with Shopee.