New platform lets Singapore SMEs on Shopee ship to buyers in Malaysia, Thailand at no extra cost
This follows the online shopping platform’s 2024 pilot in which 8,000 sellers grew their orders and gross merchandise value by eight times
SINGAPORE’S small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can now sell their wares to customers in Malaysia and Thailand – and soon, the Philippines – at no extra cost on e-commerce platform Shopee.
They can do this on the new Shopee International Platform (SIP) that was launched on Friday (Feb 7) with the support of Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG).
EnterpriseSG partnered Shopee in scoping the platform, and helped to defray key costs incurred by the e-commerce player in implementing it and onboarding sellers.
On the SIP, sellers in Singapore continue to manage their digital storefront, with Shopee Singapore overseeing the cross-border logistics. When an overseas buyer makes an order, the seller ships this to Shopee’s Singapore warehouse.
From there, Shopee leans on economies of scale to handle the rest – international shipping, order fulfilment and customer support.
The result is that it becomes more commercially viable for Singapore sellers to expand into international markets, said EnterpriseSG managing director Cindy Khoo.
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“In today’s challenging economic landscape, it is crucial for our companies to diversify revenue streams overseas,” she said.
Shopee director Chua Kel Jin said the partnership enables Shopee Singapore to leverage EnterpriseSG’s network of SMEs.
He added that many SMEs hope to expand overseas, but face uncertainty about the returns on investment. “We have streamlined the process to ensure seamless participation, allowing sellers to focus on their core business operations, while Shopee takes care of the rest.”
The official launch of the platform follows a three-month pilot that began last September, with more than 8,000 Singapore sellers eventually onboarded. Collectively, their orders and gross merchandise value grew eight times, said Khoo.
This year, Shopee intends to expand the platform to include the Philippines.
Also in the works is a new platform feature that will give successful SIP sellers the flexibility to customise their products and pricing; this feature will debut for sales to Malaysia.
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