KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 ― Shopee was the leading platform for Malaysians’ online shopping needs, according to an Ipsos survey that found 82 per cent of respondents saying they used it over the past six months.
According to the polling firm, respondents stated a preference for Shopee due to its user-friendliness, speed of delivery and reliability of reviews, beyond price and promotions.
The next nearest competitor, Lazada, was a distant second, with 31 per cent of respondents saying they shopped once on the platform.
The Ipsos poll also indicated that Malaysians were increasingly embracing e-commerce, with nearly one in two respondents saying they bought online at least once in the past six months, primarily for clothes and shoes.
The survey said due to the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing movement control order (MCO), requests for household items such as homecare products and groceries became a mainstay in the e-commerce industry.
“Few sectors have been disrupted more by the pandemic than the retail sector - while physical retailers have faced continuous uncertainty, e-commerce platforms have been thriving through the pandemic,” said Lars Erik Lie, associate director of Ipsos Public Affairs
“Although e-commerce platforms have become a mainstay, these platforms have some way to go in terms of reaching older generations and to all corners of the country.
“Fashion items remain key for e-commerce platforms, but pandemic and MCO has helped everyday items like home care products and food to become important categories. Malaysia has many new players emerging or entering the country over the recent years.
“Among all, Shopee has a substantial lead among Malaysia’s e-commerce platforms ― the platform is strongly positioned as the leader, and tends to be recommended by its users.”
Unsurprisingly the highest usage came from those aged between 18-34 with a majority of buyers coming from the east coast at 62 per cent.
This was three times more than users aged above 50 who came in at below 20 per cent.
Fashion items attributed for 47 per cent of alls sales with home care products (35 per cent), accessories (33 per cent), beauty and cosmetics (32 per cent), groceries (27 per cent), electronics (24 per cent) and home appliances (20 per cent).
After Shopee and second-placed Lazada, the next most used platform was Facebook (18 per cent), GoShop and Mudah, (both six per cent) while Chinese online shopping platform TaoBao and Instagram were both used by five per cent.
