A survey by e-commerce platform Shopee has found that found that despite the reopening of Malaysia’s economy, a majority of Malaysians continue to be highly in favour of online shopping. Revealed in the Celebrating The Heart Of Malaysia On E-Commerce marketplace survey, nine out of ten Malaysian shoppers have indicated that they still prefer online shopping as opposed to traditional over-the-counter shopping.

The survey also showed that more than half of the shoppers on Shopee have adopted online shopping more permanently for various reasons. Specifically, 43% of the respondents surveyed reported that they valued online shopping as it lets them compare prices easily amidst the current inflationary environment, while 21% said that online shopping has become a habit. Another 17% said they prefer online shopping as they can find readily available stocks online, whereas 14% noted that they wanted to access choices that are not available offline around their present location.

In terms of shopping from local sellers, 42% of survey respondents said that they would do so because of faster delivery, whereas 20% said they feel strongly about supporting Made in Malaysia products. Similarly, another 19% said they prefer locally tailored products, and 11% trusts the quality of locally sourced and made goods.

On top of that, Shopee’s survey also highlighted the fact that not all shoppers prioritise discounts and vouchers exclusively during their online shopping experience. Seven out of ten Malaysian buyers reported that their loyalty to Shopee stems from the peace of mind offered when shopping on the e-commerce platform. 40% of these shoppers noted that their confidence is attributed to “the convenience and flexibility of having parcels delivered to my doorsteps”, while 17% said it was because of the Shopee Guarantee feature, which protects buyers by holding their payments to sellers until buyers confirm that the order has been received.

Aside from buyers, Shopee’s survey also polled its sellers, and found that four out of ten local sellers use Shopee as their only business channel in the e-commerce industry. Other data that were revealed include the fact that e-commerce earnings allowed 45% of Shopee’s sellers to support their family, while 26% save and invest this income for rainy days ahead. The remaining sellers use it to sustain a better quality of life and to enhance their personal development – among other things.

Additionally, more than eight out of ten Shopee sellers surveyed attributed the long-term success of their Shopee stores to locally tailored shopping experiences instead of the discounts offered. These include reasons such as a straightforward buying and fulfilment process (34%), the recognition of Made in Malaysia products as affordable and of high quality (23%), great customer service (19%), and optimised storefront with Shopee’s marketing tools (9%).

“Celebrating The Heart Of Malaysia On E-Commerce survey underscores how Malaysian sellers continue to succeed and build financial security by selling on online marketplaces like Shopee. It’s important for business owners to understand that Malaysian shoppers do have motivations beyond price for shopping online. They can create more loyalty and engagement simply by matching their offerings and content with buyer values,” said the head of marketing campaigns at Shopee Malaysia, Kenneth Soh.

Shopee’s Celebrating The Heart Of Malaysia On E-Commerce survey has polled over 3,300 buyers and 2,100 sellers across Malaysia between 19 July to 17 August 2022, and seeks to examine the impact Malaysians are making on the economy through their continued online shopping behaviour. It is the first of a series, and will serve as the foundation to more efforts in the future.

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• Kenneth Soh
• Online Shopping
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• Shopee
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