2020 has seen a major breakthrough for e-commerce as Malaysians are propelled to go online-first for branded and premium purchases. Seen in their purchasing habits and contrary to the notion that consumer spend has weakened, Shopee noted that demand climbed across all categories on its platform, with the most notable change recorded for brands and retailers in the mid and upper segment.
Swelling trust for bigger, branded purchases online
In addition to regular personal and household items, the e-commerce platform has seen growing confidence and comfort in purchasing premium and branded items priced RM3,000 and above on its platform. This shift is reflected in what users are searching for and buying on the platform.
In recent months, most popular keywords on Shopee are iphone, laptop, washing machine and smart TV while bestsellers include Apple MacBook Pro, Bosch Built-in Dishwasher and Delonghi Coffee Machine.
Accelerated digital adoption in rural Malaysia
Digital infrastructure and adoption have always been growing steadily in states like Perlis, Kedah, Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan, but Shopee noted that the use and familiarity with e-commerce accelerated rapidly in the outskirts of these states in 2020.
As e-commerce solves the perennial challenge of limited access to consumer goods outside of Klang Valley, Shopee also found that demand for the premium and branded segment multiplied by over 300 times since 2015. Rural buyers are also seen to be getting more comfortable with the entire digital ecosystem as many have converted from using offline payment methods to ShopeePay for their checkouts.
Shopee launches 10.10 Brands Festival for retailers to capture digital opportunities
2020 has also pushed more brick-and-mortar brands and retailers including the likes of Billion, Al-Ikhsan, Eco Shop, Machines, ADIDAS, and Muji to explore a hybrid operating model with e- commerce. Through Shopee’s integrated e-commerce ecosystem such as its strong logistics network, marketing tools, brands and retailers are able to provide consumers a seamless and enjoyable shopping experience.
Taking place from 25 September to 10 October, the Shopee 10.10 Brands Festival will surprise users with greater savings. Enjoy exclusive RM10 deals, free shipping with a minimum spend of RM10 and choose a wide selection of 100% authentic products from favourite brands via the Million Dollar Brands Discounts in-app portal.
On 10 October, Enjoy RM10 free shipping platform-wide as well as deals with big discounts of up to 70% from 12AM-2AM. Users stand to win prizes, vouchers and Shopee Coins worth up to RM1,000,000 when they play Shopee Games such as Shopee Farm, Shopee Claw, Shopee Poly and more.
