Shopee, Southeast Asia’s latest mobile customer-to-customer (C2C) marketplace officially launches in Malaysia today. The platform was soft-launched earlier this year in the region, including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan. Shopee boasts a wide range of products, is equipped with a secure payment method and innovative social-led features to create a more secure, fun and fuss-free shopping and selling experience.
“Today, a large part of online purchases in Southeast Asia takes place on mobile. In Malaysia, mobile penetration is very high and stands at 140% (1.4 phone per person)1 with 45% smartphone users having made a purchase via their phone in the past year2. With the trend leaning towards users purchasing through their smartphones, we see an opportunity here to get users to shop on Shopee’s mobile marketplace. With Shopee’s intuitive interface, anyone can buy and sell in less than 30 seconds, anywhere and anytime”, said Chris Feng, Chief Executive Officer, Shopee.
Fuss-Free and Secure Customer-to-Customer Shopping Experience
Shoppers can now purchase their favourite products from the app through a secure payment service called Shopee Guarantee – which ensures that if products are not received in the previously agreed upon condition, payment will be refunded to buyers in full. The Shopee Guarantee is designed to give more assurance to buyers who purchase from first-time sellers from Shopee, while protecting the rights of both the buyer and seller at the same time. Shopee addresses common issues faced by users on other customer-to-customer marketplaces such as fraud, transaction risks and the hassle of face-to-face meetings.
Socialising the Mobile Shopping Experience
Featuring a user-friendly interface with an in-app Live Chat function, Shopee enables users to shop and communicate at their own convenience. Designed to truly embody a social commerce platform, Shopee integrates social features including hashtag functions , allowing users to easily search for the most popular trending product or keep up with the latest trends. They will received updates in real-time, similar to any other social media platform.
By allowing a real time conversation between the buyers and sellers, Shopee Live Chat fosters a better understanding of both the seller and the product before a purchasing decision is made. Shopee’s social sharing features also allow users to share products with their friends on various social media platforms via a simple tap. Buyers can also ‘follow’ their favourite sellers to stay updated about the latest deals. Whether it is trendspotting or trendsetting, users will now be able to collectively organise their products and define the latest trends happening in the marketplace.
"Shopee brings together individuals who are passionate about online buying and selling”, shared Feng. “Our team aims to create a secure, fun and fuss-free customer-to-customer shopping experience with integrated social experience. With live chat, social sharing and hashtag features, our platform has brought a truly social marketplace to life.”
Empowering Sellers across Southeast Asia
Soft-launched in June 2015, Shopee has since accumulated several million active users across Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan, of which, 30 percent are already selling products on Shopee. The platform currently has more than three million product listings, a result of engagements with influencers and retail entrepreneurs. For budding entrepreneurs, Shopee also empowers them to be more effective sellers by providing access to millions of consumers at zero cost, with integrated tools to manage inventories and customer relations.
“I tried out Shopee to explore the online market. The platform provides me with ample technical help and guidance to list my items”, said student seller Bryan Tham, store owner of 91 loading . “With the support and tools from Shopee, I was able to develop my business on Shopee’s platform, market my items better and bring to my items added exposure and reach out to more customers – all while pursuing my studies at the same time.”
Christy Ng, a brand seller of the same namesake added, “I’ve never sold anything on a mobile marketplace before. When Shopee approached me, I thought I give it a go. Ever since then, my business has picked up tremendously with two to three times the amount of sales volume. Shopee’s user experience is also seamless and convenient. The best thing about the platform is the interaction we have with the buyers which makes transactions easier to manage.”
Finding the Fun in Shopping
As a customer-to-customer platform, Shopee believes in empowering its users to shop in a unique and personal way, while passing on the quirkiness to others via social sharing. The app launch also brings Shopee's activity offline with a series of interactive fun-filled offline bazaars featuring exciting deals from participating Shopee sellers throughout December at several locations. These events and locations includes; Vodelle Fashion Fiesta at Paragon Penang on 5 – 6 December; Markets17 at Jaya One on 12 – 13 December; and a Shopaholic’s Den at PARKAMAYA, Fahrenheit88 on 18 – 20 December.
To download Shopee, users can head to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store now or log in to http://mall.shopee.com.my/ . Shopee is available across Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan.
