KUALA LUMPUR: E-commerce is the way forward as goods are cheaper online and offers more choices especially to Malaysians living in rural areas.
Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) e-commerce director Song Hock Koon said previously people in Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak had limited choices but e-commerce had changed that.
He said with better logistics managements, e-commerce can penetrate more corners in the country.
It was previously reported that the e-commerce sector recorded an average annual growth of 12.5 per cent while contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017 was RM85.8 billion from RM37.7 billion in 2010.
"E-commerce is growing and we expect more new players and merchants to come in. Some people who are used to traditional means are now joining e-commerce marketplaces like Shopee because of the excitement it has created,” he said at the launch of Shopee 9.9 Super Shopping Day here today.
Shopee Malaysia’s head of business Zed Li said historically, the firm has always done three times uplift on its big campaigns.
He said last year, total amount of sales for Shopee in the region was USD$10.3 billion.
Apart from Malaysia, Shopee is present in Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines.
“In the first quarter of this year, we already recorded USD$3.5 billion in sales. We can see a growth,” he said.
On logistics support, Li said Shopee has partnered with new players such as DHL e-commerce and J&T Express.
“Many more players will come in and the system will become more robust with improved service,” he added.
During the launch, Shopee also announced its new regional brand ambassador, footballer Cristiano Ronaldo who will be engaging in various activities such as going live on Shopee Live and starring in its 9.9 TVC which will be premiering on August 16.
Last year, Shopee recorded a total of 5.8 million orders on Sept 9 alone.
source : https://www.nst.com.my/business/2019/08/512809/e-commerce-way-forward