KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 — More Malaysians are turning to e-commerce platforms for everyday purchases, with TikTok Shop continuing to narrow the gap with market leader Shopee, according to a new Ipsos Malaysia study.

The survey by Ipsos Malaysia, conducted in May among 1,031 Malaysians aged 18 to 74, found Shopee remained the most-used e-commerce platform, while TikTok Shop strengthened its position as social commerce gained momentum.

The study found 74 per cent of Malaysians had browsed an e-commerce platform in the past six months, the highest level recorded over the past three years, compared with 70 per cent in 2025 and 65 per cent in 2024.

However, the proportion of Malaysians who made online purchases remained stable, with 60 per cent saying they had bought something through an e-commerce platform in the past six months, compared with 62 per cent in 2025.

Ipsos said Malaysia’s e-commerce market was entering a more mature phase, with online shopping shifting from occasional purchases towards more routine spending on everyday needs.

Fashion remained the most popular category among online shoppers, with 63 per cent making such purchases in the past six months.

However, everyday essentials recorded the strongest growth, with grocery purchases rising to 47 per cent in 2026 from 34 per cent in 2025.

Purchases of beauty care products and cosmetics also increased to 45 per cent from 29 per cent, while healthcare products rose to 25 per cent from 15 per cent.

Among Malaysians who made online purchases in the past six months, 71 per cent shopped on Shopee, making it the leading platform despite a slight decline from 74 per cent in 2025.

TikTok Shop continued to gain users, with 62 per cent of online shoppers saying they used the platform, up from 52 per cent in 2025 and 43 per cent in 2024.

Facebook recorded 15 per cent usage among online shoppers, while Lazada stood at 11 per cent.

Ipsos said TikTok Shop’s growth reflected the growing appeal of content-led shopping, where consumers can discover, evaluate and purchase products within the same platform.

The platform’s growth was particularly notable among Malaysians aged 25 to 44, with usage among those aged 25 to 34 rising 11 percentage points to 63 per cent, while adoption among those aged 35 to 44 jumped 19 percentage points to 59 per cent.

Although Malaysians aged 18 to 24 remained TikTok Shop’s largest user group at 69 per cent, the growth among older age groups showed the platform had expanded beyond younger consumers.

TikTok Shop also narrowed the gap with Shopee in key areas such as promotions, user experience and product variety.

For promotions and rewards, Shopee scored 72 per cent compared with TikTok Shop’s 70 per cent, reducing the gap between the two platforms from seven percentage points in 2025 to two percentage points this year.

Both platforms scored 68 per cent for being user-friendly, while Shopee held a three-point lead over TikTok Shop for product variety, at 70 per cent compared with 67 per cent.

Ipsos Malaysia said the findings showed the country’s e-commerce sector was moving towards deeper engagement among existing shoppers, with routine purchases becoming a bigger part of online spending.

The study also highlighted the economic significance of the sector, noting that ICT and e-commerce contributed RM451.3 billion, or 23.4 per cent, to Malaysia’s gross domestic product in 2024.