For 1,015 female sellers surveyed on the marketplace this Ramadan period: two-thirds hire single, rural, or impoverished women, or source directly from women-owned suppliers; a third facilitate networking opportunities and training programs.
These findings demonstrate that Malaysian women in the digital economy are not only supporting household dependents during peak Ramadan e-commerce sales(2), but are a driving force in giving back by lowering barriers to entry, widening access to customers, and providing more flexibility in time management to other women like themselves.
When asked "How has Shopee opened up new opportunities for women sellers like yourself?" – eight in ten respondents value the benefits and freedom of starting an online storefront easily with minimal investments and scaling it for sustainable growth, whereas two in ten respondents value the time they get to support their family, pursue their own aspirations, and enhance their skills.
Having achieved success for themselves this Raya, women on Shopee have been able to save time and effort in establishing alternative revenue streams, build relationships with resellers, vendors, and infrastructure partners they have no prior contacts with, and figure out how to invest in attracting their first customer base, especially for marginalised or impoverished women in rural and B40 communities. Not to mention, juggling their careers on top of household responsibilities and raising children.
#ShopeeSapotLokal's community of women sellers have a sense of purpose and are capitalising on opportunities to drive greater inclusion by appealing to younger generations of Malaysian shoppers who shop purposefully online(3). When Generation Z choose to buy from women-owned stores, the survey helps them understand why these women think it's important their business is supported: 60% of respondents are driven by career growth, financial empowerment, and long-term stability. 40% believe in making a positive impact with products that improve lives and by being role models for women and children.
Kenneth Soh, Head of Marketing at Shopee Malaysia, said, "Our belief is that e-commerce should be accessible to all. With this survey, Shopee's community of empowered business-women are getting their voices heard. They're advocating for a multifaceted approach to uplift other women and encouraging online shoppers to support them. These women are playing a significant role in Malaysia's digital economy, and we're sitting up listening and giving them the platform to succeed."
Their growing participation in e-commerce allows Malaysian women to give their point of view on how to upskill other women to unlock their growth potential. 70% of women surveyed identified understanding people and delivering on trust as critical to success — 30% prioritise marketing as important to improve store content and deliver on their brand story, 20% focus on engaging shopping experiences to increase orders, and 20% emphasise customer service for star ratings and positive reviews. Only a third think upskilling is needed in navigating the platform features or optimising operations.
When asked which Shopee marketplace feature they utilise most to grow given their specific needs and constraints as women entrepreneurs, 36% of women sellers want to become preferred sellers or achieve Shopee Mall status. 25% want to leverage influencers and Shopee Live for higher visibility, 23% seek Seller Education Hub and Shopee Bintang Komuniti support, and 18% would like to capitalise on Big Campaigns.
"Championing other women's success means they can help each other define how Malaysian communities are built, communicated with, and how value-based businesses are run. 90% of women surveyed would recommend Shopee as a platform of choice to other women sellers promoting value-based shopping and inclusion," Soh concluded.
Notes to Editor
1.2023 ShopeeSapotLokal Building Connected Communities study was conducted by Shopee Malaysia, between 17 March 2023 and 31 March 2023. Voluntary feedback was obtained from 1,015 women sellers on the platform on how their inclusion on the marketplace drives empowerment for other women like themselves.
2.#RayaBersamaShopee survey of more than two thousand participating sellers between March 18 to April 18 2022 , 70% of Shopee Sellers, who are female, said they were empowered to provide for their families and more than three dependents on average.
3.Past the Starting Line: Adapting to Malaysia’s Digital Consumers in 2023’ Consumer Trends Report between 23 December and 5 January 2023. Voluntary feedback from 2,150 buyers and 1,087 sellers on the platform found 3 rising trends:
a.Increased and savvier use of digital services
b.Growing adoption of digital services for rural communities
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Shopee
Shopee is the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia & Taiwan. Shopee promotes an inclusive and sustainable digital ecosystem by enabling businesses to digitalise and grow their online presence, helping more people access and benefit from digital services, and uplifting local communities.
Shopee offers an easy, secure, and engaging experience that is enjoyed by millions of people daily. Shopee is also a key contributor to the region's digital economy with a firm commitment to helping homegrown brands and entrepreneurs succeed in e-commerce.
Shopee is part of Sea Limited (NYSE: SE), a leading global consumer internet company. Sea's mission is to better the lives of consumers and small businesses with technology through its three core businesses: Shopee, Garena and SeaMoney.
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