Shopee says more MSMEs turning to e-commerce

MORE micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) in Southeast Asia are turning to e-commerce to scale their businesses, Shopee, Inc. said, as smaller firms play an increasingly significant role in the region’s digital economy.

In a report, Shopee said MSMEs on its platform generated $270 billion in sales, with 99% of its sellers classified as MSMEs. The company said these sellers now move P5.5 billion more items annually compared with previous years.

Shopee noted that 80% of its affiliated MSMEs operate outside capital cities, highlighting how e-commerce enables sellers to reach broader markets. Through the platform, merchants have expanded into over 400 cities across Southeast Asia and Taiwan.

“The past decade has been a time of tremendous change as the digital economy opened new opportunities for people and businesses everywhere,” Shopee Chief Operating Officer Terence Pang said in a statement.

The company also cited the importance of upskilling, noting that sellers are increasingly using its educational tools.

In the Philippines, Shopee has hosted workshops in 19 cities, with local MSMEs spending 110,000 hours on Shopee University courses in the past four years. Sellers have also adopted digital advertising, chatbots and e-commerce marketing through Shopee’s suite of tools.

Shopee plans to enhance seller visibility through customer service automation, product listing and ad optimization and intelligent insights, it said.

“As artificial intelligence transforms the way people work and live, Shopee is eager to continue working with sellers and communities to ride this digital wave,” it added. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz