SINGAPORE, 3 JUNE 2020 -Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, is gearing up to launch the much anticipated Great Shopee Sale (GSS) from 6 June to 7 July.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact consumer shopping habits and accelerate local businesses and small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) shift to online retail, especially with the cancellation of the Great Singapore Sale – a first in its 26-year history. Shopee is determined to use its platform to aid the evolving needs of both users and sellers and help them adapt to the new normal. By elevating the profiles of local sellers and leveraging data on shifting consumer habits, Shopee also aims to facilitate greater seller-user relationships during this period.

During GSS, avid shoppers can look forward to free shipping and great deals from over 1,000 brands. Million Dollar Discount^[1] will also run across an array of categories, allowing users to enjoy Lowest Price Guaranteed and free shipping on products from popular brands.

Shopee’s extended support for local businesses in Singapore

As part of this year’s GSS, Shopee will continue to champion local sellers and SMEs to establish and grow their e-commerce presence in the current economic climate. The homegrown company will feature one local seller a day from 6 June to 7 July to drive more visibility for local businesses. These will include Night Owl Cinematics, The Mind Cafe, Daribell, Pot A Toast, Powerpac, and more, featured on Shopee’s ‘‘#SGUnited Shopee Support Local” campaign microsite and social media platforms.

The initiative comes off the back of the recent Shopee Seller Support Package, a package that provides local sellers and SMEs with assistance totalling S$1 million. The initiative has successfully supported several local businesses to seamlessly transit online through much-needed marketing support such as lowered advertising, cashback, and free shipping costs. Additional funding is also available through the E-Commerce Booster Package developed in partnership with Enterprise Singapore.

Zhou Junjie, Chief Commercial Officer at Shopee, said: “With the cancellation of offline events – including Singapore’s beloved Great Singapore Sale – more people are relying on online experiences than ever before. Shopee is committed to bringing this traditionally offline event to life in the digital space so that consumers can still have access to deals from their favourite brands. We pride our platform on its ease-of-use for local businesses to stay engaged with consumers, and will continue to make a positive impact in our users’ lives during these difficult times.”

“We expect this year’s Great Shopee Sale to be our largest-ever as we welcome more retailers onboard to offer exciting deals and promotions. Shopee will continue to improve our offerings and deliver personalised, engaging, and social experiences for all our users during this time of evolving needs,” Mr Zhou adds.

New buying habits among Singaporean consumers

As people are forced to change their lifestyles during the pandemic, Shopee has observed new shopping preferences among Singaporean consumers:

• As consumers turn to online platforms to make their purchases, users are spending an average of 40% more time on Shopee a week.
• Products in the Health & Wellness and Food & Beverages categories are highly sought as consumers’ patterns shift towards daily essentials and household necessities.
• There has been an increase in social interactions on Shopee with over 200,000 messages sent daily on average as consumers interact directly with brands and sellers.
• Users utilise various payment methods, including the platform’s in-app, e-wallet ShopeePay, for a seamless and secure payment process.

In light of these changing needs, GSS will feature themed days including the Great Health & Wellness Sale on 27 June and the Great Food & Beverage Sale on 5 July. Users can also look forward to a variety of content on Shopee Live for the entire duration of the campaign, including livestreams featuring exciting partners such as Zouk Singapore, Digital Shilin Singapore, and more.

Livestreaming as the new normal to deepen seller-user relationships

Online technologies such as livestreaming have proven to be an essential lifeline for businesses to not only survive but thrive. It provides sellers an opportunity to diversify their sales channels and at the same time, provide a fun and entertaining shopping experience for users.

The number of Shopee Live streams, the platform’s in-app livestreaming feature, from brands and sellers has increased by 40 times since the outbreak. Sellers who conducted livestream sessions during last year’s GSS reported significant sales increases of up to 75% – this year is no exception.

Going beyond transactional experiences, consumers are increasingly seeking deeper interaction and engagements via livestreams – especially while shopping from the comfort of their homes. As more sellers and shoppers look to connect with one another and transact online in real-time, Shopee expects the trend of livestreaming to continue gaining popularity this year, accelerated by the changing needs and preferences of an adaptive consumer base.