Celebrities Drive Authentic Connections On Shopee Live

Responding to the shifting e-commerce trend towards a more humanised online shopping experience* local celebrities Zoey Rahman and Lan Solo are actively stepping into the digital spotlight, curating and presenting products on Shopee’s own livestream channel, Shopee Mamak. Whether it's Zoey Rahman's insightful product reviews or Lan Solo's captivating demonstrations, these celebrities are going beyond traditional endorsements. This shift towards interactive and personalised content is a win-win for all users, creating a humanised online shopping experience.

Celebrities Advocates Authenticity to Build Brand Trust in E-commerce 

A human-centric online shopping experience prioritises genuine product sharing and builds connections through shared experience. Lan Solo, a member of the Shopee Celebrity Squad and a popular Malaysian singer known for his engaging Shopee Mamak content, emphasised this shift: "It isn’t just about showcasing or selling products. Live streaming is all about two-way conversations. We encourage questions, respond to comments in real-time, and create a sense of community.” Lan Solo’s Shopee Mamak streams consistently pull in an average viewership of over 50K Malaysians.

Fellow Shopee Celebrity Squad member and founder of Mikaseries, Zoey Rahman, echoed this sentiment.  "People connect with authenticity. On Shopee Live, I can share genuine product recommendations, offering viewers valuable insights beyond just a celebrity endorsement."  One of Zoey’s recent Shopee Mamak sessions drew a record number of over 60K viewers, showcasing the power of expert advice delivered in a relatable and engaging format.

Celebrities Champions Personalised E-commerce Content That Connects 

Many businesses see the potential of live streaming by connecting directly with customers through Shopee Live. But for some, the world of live commerce can feel like uncharted territory.  New sellers are eager to jump on the bandwagon, but questions like "Where do I even begin?" or "What kind of content should I create?" cloud their minds.

Zoey gave his expert take on maximising e-commerce efforts through Shopee Live. "Live streaming might seem casual, but a well-defined content strategy is key." He stressed audience research, “It's important to know what your audience is interested in before you start your live stream. What kind of content that’s both interesting and informative to them?” Besides, Zoey emphasised the importance of authenticity, advocating for live sellers to provide genuine recommendations. His commitment to authenticity went beyond mere recommendations. He personally tested products before showcasing them on Shopee Live, for example health supplements like Redoxon Cal-D Effervescent Tablets and KITSUI Whitie Snow Probiotic. This firsthand experience allowed him to identify key benefits and present them from a user's perspective, not just a salesperson's. By prioritising transparency, Zoey built trust with his viewers, avoiding hard sells in favour of genuine recommendations.

Lan shared a similar view when asked about his content strategy to succeed in Shopee Live. “Storytelling is a great way to engage viewers and reduce drop offs. Think of it as hanging out with friends and talking about something you're passionate about – your products!” Instead of bombarding viewers with sales tactics like pushing them to purchase, Lan suggested weaving stories around the products. “Imagine sharing funny anecdotes about a particular item or offering your own experiences that resonate with your audience. This approach keeps them engaged and interested in learning more.” Lan Solo, a parent himself, put this advice into action, leveraging his experience to recommend the Anakku Disney Baby Bath. His relatable stories resonated with parent viewers who trusted his firsthand knowledge and advice. Both Zoey Rahman and Lan Solo's sharing align perfectly with the growing trend of live commerce.  

Shopee Live Empowers Sellers with Its Useful Live Streaming Features

Zoey highlighted the advantages of using Shopee Live as a platform for live streaming:  "It's a built-in feature on Shopee, ready for you to engage your audience directly.” Emphasising the convenience, Zoey added, “It's so convenient that sellers can ditch the brick-and-mortar overhead. They can live stream directly from their phones – anytime, anywhere!" Shopee Live allows sellers to launch live streams easily just through a phone – a convenient and cost-effective way to connect with audiences.

"Shopee Live is like having your own mini broadcast, but without the production hassle," said Lan Solo, echoing the platform's user-friendliness. “Unlike traditional live streaming, Shopee Live empowers sellers to go live with ease. Shopee Live's easy-to-use features, such as live chat functionality, and exclusive deals, empower brands and sellers to connect with audiences in an interactive way, ultimately leading to increased brand awareness and brand loyalty.”

SPX Express Optimises Logistics Network, Accelerates E-commerce Delivery by 30%

 SPX Express (SPX), Shopee's trusted logistics partner, celebrates a nationwide boost in e-commerce efficiency with the opening of the new Bukit Raja Sorting Centre in Klang, Selangor. Since January 2024, SPX has achieved a 30% improvement in delivery times for parcels travelling from Klang Valley to non-Klang Valley regions. SPX continuously improves their overall logistics network across Malaysia; 50% of customers can now receive their orders in three days or less.

In 2024, SPX aims to further increase their delivery capacity and area coverage, improve end-to-end user experience, and reduce costs to better serve Malaysians. SPX's extensive network of over 140 hubs and warehouses and over 1,200 service points supporting both seller drop-offs and buyer self-collection across Malaysia positions them as a frontrunner in efficient e-commerce logistics. SPX will also expand to 700 buyer self-collection points outside of the Klang Valley within the next six months, allowing online shoppers to pick up their purchases at locations that fit their daily routines.

“The Bukit Raja Sorting Centre represents a significant expansion of SPX Express's capabilities in servicing the e-commerce sector. This strategic investment allows us to enhance our value proposition for e-commerce vendors, particularly those situated outside the Klang Valley region. By leveraging best-in-class warehouse and sorting management systems, we've already witnessed quantifiable improvements in operational efficiency. Looking ahead, we're committed to continuous improvement and plan to integrate cutting-edge technologies throughout the year to reach an operational capacity of an estimated 1.5 million parcels by year-end,” said Cheah Lee Sun, Head of SPX Express Malaysia.

This year, SPX's close partnership with Fulfilled by Shopee will further elevate the e-commerce delivery experience to better serve their users. The Bukit Raja Fulfilment Warehouse strategically houses an average of 3 million readily available products – a portion of the estimated 5.5 million total stock capacity. This equates to a wider selection for users and faster processing, with aims for 95% of e-commerce orders shipped out on the same day for orders placed before 2PM. Additionally, leveraging the facility’s secure storage and expedited deliveries through consignment services has demonstrably boosted customer satisfaction and brand loyalty for local businesses.

SPX's robust logistics network levels the playing field for Malaysian businesses. Small sellers, independent brands, and customers nationwide enjoy reliable, affordable, and efficient delivery, thanks to SPX's in-house technology and the dedicated couriers and sorters. This empowers entrepreneurs to achieve sustainable growth, supported by faster average delivery times for their e-commerce orders.

SPX has championed diversity and inclusion in its workforce since 2021. By launching innovative programs, SPX has empowered their teams – from facility workers  to fleet supervisors – to achieve a healthy work-life balance and fostered a strong sense of community. The opening of the Bukit Raja Sorting Centre has generated over 400 new full-time and part-time jobs for individuals in the Selangor area. This significant investment creates much-needed opportunities for Malaysians to improve their livelihoods and give back to their local community.

Dododots Champions Self-Love on Shopee Live

Everyday, Dododots empowers over 3,500 Malaysians to embrace their imperfections and practice self-love through Shopee Live. Founded in November 2021, Dododots has designed over 20 series of unique cartoon pimple patches, encouraging individuals to turn their blemishes into a fashion statement.

Understanding the struggle with breakouts firsthand, Esther Erin, Founder of Dododots said, “As victims of blemish breakouts, we want to empower others through livestreams. A breakout shouldn't stop you from living your life. Because we understand how unwanted blemishes can affect our confidence, we want to be there for the community on bad skin days." That's why the brand focuses solely on pimple patches, staying true to their mission of helping others through innovative patch designs.

Recognising the power of Shopee Live, Dododots uses it to connect with a wider Malaysian audience in a fun and interactive way. During streams, the hosts playfully showcase their wide range of designs on the face, from flowers to cats, encouraging self-acceptance among viewers. This approach has led to a quadrupled increase in sales compared to regular days. They strategically use social media to build anticipation for live sessions and meticulously choose their hosts to ensure the brand is represented accurately. Today, Dododots expands its team from 2 to 15 loyal customers cum active hosts, continuing to share their love for cute pimple patches.

“Livestreaming requires effort,” Ethan Wong, Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer of Dododots explains. “We can’t just go live and expect high viewerships. To build an audience, we promote our Shopee Live schedule on social media, encouraging followers to chat with us live, especially for new product launches. We've found that many viewers enjoy live sessions because it allows them to ask questions they might otherwise hesitate to do on social media due to shyness or reservations, especially for those with sensitive skin conditions who prefer not to leave a trace on their social accounts.” Dododots uses Shopee as their main platform as it allows customers to easily add items to their carts.

Of course, success is not easy. Ethan shares, "Standing out on Shopee Live is tough with so many Malaysian livestreamers. We've noticed certain hosts gaining popularity among our loyal customers. To leverage this, we now share their livestream schedules on our social media accounts, aiming to maximise engagement and foster stronger connections with our audience.This two-to-three hour window allows viewers to connect with us and others who share similar skin concerns. By prioritising relationship building over sales through sincere live engagements, we aim to create brand awareness throughout rural Malaysia."

The brand attributes their variety of designs to the community with customers constantly providing fresh ideas like, "I want flowers" or "butterflies on my face". Dododots then quickly brings these ideas to life while keeping in mind the design's copyright licensing. This constant flow of ideas allows them to keep innovating their product offerings.

As the brand continues to resonate with Malaysians, Dododots sold over 29,000 units of its best-selling Manja Cats series, featuring 16 cat motifs. To date, the store has accumulated over 38,000 followers on Shopee.

#ShopeeRaiLokal Raya Stail Kita Fashion Show

 

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, on 5 March 2024, unveiled its #ShopeeRaiLokal Raya Stail Kita fashion show on Shopee Live, to inspire Malaysians nationwide to dress well and buy local. Themed ‘Tarakucha Retro’, Shopee collaborated with long-term sellers, celebrities, and influencers to style Malaysians for three 2024 trends this Raya: kek lapis, burnt orange, and nostalgia with a twist. 

“This fashion show is a love letter to the golden days of P. Ramlee and Saloma,” said Shopee Head of Marketing, Kenneth Soh. “By design, fashion, and beauty on Shopee is deliberately wholesome and inclusive for all Malaysians who need to balik kampung, pay respects to their elders, and attend Raya celebrations all over the country with dignity. With Raya Stail Kita, Malaysians can now dress with style and support their local sellers.”

Raya Stail Kita fashion show is the third chapter in #ShopeeRaiLokal, an episodic content platform to feature local sellers who build communities*. Ten Shopee muslimah fashion sellers, namely Ashikin Ahmad, Liyana Collection, Adnaa, Indah Pesona, Hernes, Inhanna, Zoe Arissa, Panda Eyes, Bayu Somerset, and Mikaseries by Zoey Rahman, and Habib Jewels joined forces in the spirit of gotong-royong to sponsor outfits and accessories to complete the looks. Sponsoring brands lending their generosity to the event included beauty and skincare names such as Y.O.U, SimplySiti, SilkyGirl, Papa Feel, Mikaseries, lemooc, Emina, Dazzle Me, barenbliss, Alha Alfa, and AISASEA.

The curation of fashion runway’s looks was in line with the survey result from Raya Stail Kita study** covering Malaysian shoppers on the platform. The survey revealed that over 9 in 10 surveyed are driven to shop by coordinating looks with their whole family this Raya. Five in ten embrace the layer cake Raya trend, four in ten buy retro outfits and the remainder search burnt orange. 

Across the platform, Malaysians overwhelmingly prefer cotton (over 50%) as the fabric of choice, followed by silks (20%) and Songket (15%). A minority shop for brocade and organza. The top colours Malaysians are shopping for this Raya are: neutral tones (50%), then flaming vibrant colours like reds, oranges and gold yellow (30%), followed by solid dark greens and purples (20%).

A departure from run-of-the-mill fashion shows, Shopee’s runway slowed down the models’ catwalks to teach audiences nationwide how different garments could be styled from a variety of brands for each look to coordinate with their whole families. 

Body positive model Hikma Al Hassan headlined Shopee’ inclusive and affordable looks that were curated based on how Malaysians are shopping for their Baju Raya online. With its first look, Kek Lapis, Shopee called for Malaysians to experiment with unconventional layering of colors, prints, and textures. As popularized by Intan Najuwa at her wedding recently, Shopee then presented various ways to dress Burnt Orange this season for both men and women of various skin tones. The final look, Nostalgia Balik Kampung, encapsulated a rich tapestry of traditional and retro styles familiar to every Malaysian.

Kiffy Razak, Managing Editor of NONA, Hijabista, and Mingguan Wanita,  gave her styling advice on how Malaysians could tap into popular trends and dress up these looks: “Incorporating a dash of kek lapis color blocking, lively yet chic orange or nostalgia in one’s ensemble while integrating a bit of glam and a classic touch to perfect the look will provide an excellent nod to Raya trends this year. More importantly, it’s about interpreting and styling it in a way that reflects your best and true self as well as respecting values and cherished traditions you hold dear in celebration of Eid.”

Shopee is dedicated to offering a diverse and wholesome range of fashion choices for the whole family. Dato’ Jovian Mandagie, a Fashion Designer who also has Shopee Celebrity Squad store on Shopee, echoes this sentiment with his expert take: “Aidilfitri is a celebration of love and victory over Ramadan, whether you're at a kampung house or a city ballroom. Dress comfortably with modesty in mind. Avoid overdressing that will lead you looking like a Christmas Tree. When choosing baju Raya, prioritize comfort, and only follow trends if they suit your personality.”

Fellow Shopee Celebrity Squad, Zoey Rahman, Malaysian Actor and Founder of Mikaseries, gave his take on how to do Raya 2024: “I prefer classic Baju Melayu featuring a cekak musang collar and concealed buttons. I will style with instant sampin that can be ready within 2 minutes to complete the look. I like this outfit idea because it is classic suitable for Raya morning.”

* #ShopeeRaiLokal: Previously, Shopee launched a 100-page guide to top Malaysian sellers in every state, Unveiling Hidden Gems, and filmed a documentary, Breaking Barriers Online 

** Raya Stail Kita survey was conducted on 1,040 respondents across Malaysia in February 2024 on Shopee’s marketplace app.

Shopee Unveils 2024 Raya Fashion Trends Online

 

Today, Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, unveiled Raya Stail Kita study of Malaysian shopping preferences online this Ramadan and Raya season. The survey of over 1,000 online shoppers conducted last month reveals a rich tapestry of influences, from modest wear to nostalgic traditions, guiding Malaysians’ personal fashion styles and beauty trends. Every year, the platform observes its peak e-commerce shopping and delivery periods for 52 days over Ramadan and Raya as Malaysians actively seek clothes and accessories to prepare for balik kampung.

The overwhelming majority of Malaysians, over 9 in 10 surveyed, are driven to shop foremost by coordinating looks with their whole family this Raya. Within this group, 50% want colour-coordinated outfits, 16% match in comfort and practicality for specific functions, 14% pick one fabric, brand, or theme to wear, and 12% pick a 2024 trend to follow. Only a minority, 8%, of shoppers do not consider what their families are wearing when they shop online.

In selecting the style of their Raya outfits, half of Malaysian shoppers express preference for statement-making layers of colours, patterns, and fabrics, such as eye-popping vibrant prints from Bayu Somerset, bright sampins from Zoey Rahman’s Mikawear,  and textured lace by Zoe Arissa. Four in ten preferred nostalgic and traditional styles such as checkered print sarongs from Asikin Ahmad and kaftan kurungs from Hernes.  Whereas 15% are searching for outfits in a particularly trending colour from sellers like Inhanna, Indah Persona, Panda Eyes, and Adnaa as they type ‘red brick,’ ‘brown orange’, or ‘bata merah,’ in their keywords on Shopee’s search bar.

When asked, “What motivates your Raya shopping choices on Shopee?”, half of survey respondents said that they select upcoming Raya outfits driven by religious and cultural traditions, referencing Shopee’s personalised fashion selections and keyword search recommendations to find modest wear outfits to add to cart. A third of respondents look for Shopee sellers’ wide range of baju kebaya, baju kurung, and baju melayu offerings in various fabrics and prints in order to celebrate their individuality and express their personal style. Two in ten pick modern outfits in line with latest trends. 

Across the platform, Malaysians overwhelmingly prefer cotton (over 50%) as the fabric of choice, followed by silks (20%) and Songket (15%). A minority shop for brocade and organza. The top colours Malaysians are shopping for this Raya are: neutral tones (50%), then flaming vibrant colours like reds, oranges and gold yellow (30%),  followed by solid dark greens and purples (20%). 

In fact, the most popular baju according to Raya Stail Kita is cotton in neutral tones, with 3 in 10 buying this. The survey also reveals that 90% of Malaysians surveyed will wear their Baju Raya multiple times throughout the year, a sign that sustainable values have taken root even during the busiest e-commerce shopping period. 

In addition to fashion, Malaysians are actively shopping for makeup and cosmetic skincare this Raya, from popular local brands such as Y.O.U, Wardah, Simply Siti, Silky Girl, Papa Feel, Mika Series, lemooc, Emina, Dazzle Me, Barrenbliss, alha alfa, and AISASEA  on Shopee. The majority of Raya Stail Kita survey respondents prioritise beauty and makeup product benefits (40%), followed by brand loyalty (30%), and trending skincare (20%). 

When making decisions on beauty products, a significant 70% surveyed trust beauty influencers and expert recommendations, whereas 30% prefer to make independent choices. Shopee Live plays a big role in how Malaysians shop beauty, with 90% tuning into Shopee Live to watch featured products, and 4 in 10 of these live audience members specifically seeking skincare benefits and long-lasting makeup.

When asked what features of the Shopee platform enhanced their Raya shopping journeys the most, 60% of Malaysians surveyed are cashing in on exclusive discounts and promotions during #RayaBersamaShopee campaign. 30% choose to shop on Shopee for its wide variety of product selections and ease of finding the sellers’ products, while 10% trust in Shopee’s customer service, user-friendly interface, and Livestream capabilities.

In choosing sellers of choice to buy from, customer reviews play a crucial role, with 85% of respondents considering them important, particularly valuing verified Shopee purchases and Shopee's customer feedback. 

In response to this, and in line with Shopee’s mission to drive an inclusive marketplace, Shopee is proudly debuting #ShopeeRaiLokal Raya Stail Kita fashion show, which will be livestreamed on Shopee Mamak at 2:30pm on 5 March 2024 for all Malaysians. In collaboration with muslim fashion brands, beauty sellers, Zoey Rahman, Dato’ Jovian Mandagie, and Habib Jewels, Shopee intends to dress Malaysians in a wholesome, inclusive way this Raya with dignity and affordably for every occasion. Malaysians will get to learn how to style themselves from Managing Editor of Nona, Hijabista, and Mingguan Wanita, Kiffy Razak, and be treated to a performance by Shopee's Ambassador, Malaysian singer and celebrity, Iman Troye.

For more information, visit https://shopee.com.my/raya-stail-kita