Shopee Seller Summit Ushers in New Era of Value-Based Marketing

1,200 Malaysian sellers on Shopee’s platform unanimously resolved to stay relevant with shifting values of younger audiences online by embracing Value-Based Marketing at Shopee’s Seller Summit at Sunway Resort on 21 June 2023. The sixth instalment of Malaysia's most popular annual e-commerce conventions provided a safe space for sellers to incorporate latest online consumer trends and newly launched marketplace features in contributing to the development of local communities across various industries nationwide.

Up-ending the notion that purpose-driven business is solely the purview of large MNC corporations, ten value-based sellers set up pop-up booths to demonstrate how they drive unique values through user experience, authentic storytelling, and seamless engagement. Shopee Xpert and Shopee Bintang sellers played interactive games such as Marketplace Inclusion Treats-In-the-Jar, Building Connected Communities Jenga, and Redefining E-Commerce Pictionary, to break the ice and create memorable value-based learning experiences.

In his keynote speech, Shopee Malaysia’s Director, Cheng Xun Chua unveiled major 2023 platform initiatives focused on enabling Malaysian sellers’ growth. Firstly, Shopee is enhancing capabilities across logistics and payments, and prioritising brand protection to enable better shopping experiences for value-based customers. Secondly, Shopee is maximising customer lifetime value from its large user base by building cross-category synergy and deepening the connection between sellers and their customers, increasing shopper engagement and maximising sellers’ reach. 

According to Chua, "In today's e-commerce landscape, customers pay close attention to what a seller stands for and does, by checking out what the influencers and affiliates say about the brand. With Shopee 360 Marketing Solutions, we provide a comprehensive, end-to-end platform marketing solution that includes a range of tools and services to help sellers increase their visibility and sales.”

Khairul Aming, winner of Shopee Super Award 2022 Best New Seller and Best Customer Service awards, led the call to stay relevant during his panel discussion. He was joined by esteemed fellow sellers Roy Sam of PerySmith, Kim Yeo of Ecobb,  Sammy Chong of Celovis Jewelry, and So Bee Leng of Coty Malaysia, who spoke about meeting the needs of value-based consumers to drive long-term loyalty. 

He introduced Sambal Nyet on Shopee in 2021 and has made over RM 21.5 million in sales since, selling his millionth bottle last August. By constantly refreshing and customising content for Malaysians’ local preferences, he has over 3.7M followers on Instagram and consistently maintains an average of 5.0 stars ratings on Shopee with over 392.2k followers. Hailing from Kelantan, Khairul's growing business is a model of creating inclusive employment opportunities in his hometown for over 50 staff and 150 household dependents. 

Kenneth Soh, Head of Marketing at Shopee Malaysia, said, “Every year, thousands of sellers network and learn new things to grow at our Seller Summit. This year, I had the privilege of facilitating first-hand (in my panel forum) very proactive value-based marketing strategies that I’m sure will drive societal and business impacts by industry. Not forgetting, I wanted to thank all the brand sponsors for contributing to the success of Seller Summit 2023: Commerce.Asia, Intrepid, Kumoten, Mono & Co, PayRecon, Red Dino, SiteGiant, and Toyo, among others.“

Exemplifying how Made-in-Malaysia stores on marketplace can drive local economic inclusion while meeting the demands of value-based shoppers through Shopee’s ecosystem were: Ooi Zhi Wei of Zhiwei Herb, Felix Lee and Tee Ying Fui of Beehaus, Karen Tee of RPM (Racing Passion Moto), Eelin Lim of BeNourish, Leon Wong of Samview, Mohd Zaid of Lampu Cherita, Edward Wong of HomeDecoStore, Khairil Adhzaha of Tokey Sambal Hitam, Patricia Marin of Mamami Shoppe, and Hafiz Oon of Mr Bentong.

Last year, Shopee upskilled and integrated over 250,000 new sellers for digital inclusion, and saw 145 new sellers record over RM500,000 in sales in the first 12 months online. In line with Shopee’s ongoing efforts to leverage the transformative power of technology to create a more inclusive digital economy, Shopee’s Seller Summit provides tools to upskill and empower sellers to achieve online success and build a sustainable future for themselves.