E-marketplace Shopee Thailand continues to invest in marketing activities, user experience and tools for sellers, while tapping cross-border sales and live selling to maintain its growth momentum amid economic challenges.
The company continues to experience growth in the local e-commerce market as online shopping has become an established habit among shoppers, particularly through the collection of discount codes and promotions for specific products and these help consumers cope within the rising cost of living, said Suchaya Paleewong, senior marketing manager at Shopee Thailand.
Shopee Thailand is the local e-commerce arm of Singapore-headquartered internet giant Sea.
Last year was a challenging year as many businesses, including Shopee Thailand, needed to adjust in order to be in line with a dynamic situation and make themselves become more resilient, Ms Suchaya said.
This year Shopee Thailand would continue to promote cost savings for shoppers, increase sales for local sellers, while increasing support for communities, she said.
Ms Suchaya referred to the "Shopee Serves: Building Resilience with Technology" survey, noting that shoppers across Southeast Asia saved US$1.7 billion on the purchase of groceries and essentials during Shopee's monthly shopping campaigns and from savings campaigns brought in by its partners.
Meanwhile, millions of local sellers across Southeast Asia grew their digital presence with Shopee.
Tens of millions of users purchased items via Shopee for the first time and 85% of new users came from underserved regions outside of capital cities and other major cities, while new local sellers from 200 localities came online with Shopee. Some 24 million users made their first digital payment via ShopeePay last year.
In the second half of 2022, the number of ShopeeFood orders made by users outside Bangkok doubled when compared to the first half of the year.
In addition, Shopee scaled up support for local communities in need, with 600,000 people participating in corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts organised by Shopee and its partners across 2022.
In Thailand, the company's #ShopeeTogether pilot activity targets the upcycling of its customers' box parcels while the firm says it has upskilled 20,000 local sellers out of 2 million within the Southeast Asian region.
Shopee recently launched a marketing tool which lets buyers promote sellers' products in return for a small commission on each sale. Using this method, buyers can earn money, while sellers can increase their sales.
"This is part of the new features that will improve the users' experience," said Ms Suchaya.
She also sees increasing sales opportunities for local sellers by exporting their products via Shopee's international platform that targets customers in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.
She also sees continued competition from other online platforms, so Shopee would make its content more appealing to buyers with the use of many features, particularly its "Live shopping" platform.
"Young people love to watch the purchasing of products live," said Ms Suchaya.
Shopee has also adjusted its marketing campaigns to fall in line with key events. Customers increased their purchases of auto accessories after the end of the Motor Expo, while online book stores offered discounts similar to those offered at major book fairs.
