Businesses and shoppers have strengthened their digital resilience by maximising opportunities through e-commerce, even as societies reopened and local communities navigate macroeconomic challenges.
According to Shopee Serves: Building Resilience with Technology, shoppers across Southeast Asia saved US$1.7 billion on groceries and essentials during Shopee’s monthly shopping campaigns, as well as bigger savings brought in partnership with sellers and brands. More shoppers and businesses were able to access e-commerce, with 85% of new users coming from underserved regions outside of capitals and major cities, while new local sellers from 200 localities came online with Shopee. In addition, Shopee also scaled up support for local communities in need, with 600,000 people participating in CSR efforts organised by Shopee and trusted partners across 2022.
Vincent Lee, Head of Shopee Philippines, said, “Over the last year, we continued to support our communities as they navigated a particularly challenging environment. With our commitment to supporting the needs of our buyers and sellers, we helped users save more on everyday needs while helping businesses capture opportunities, such as connecting and deepening their engagement with untapped audiences already in our ecosystem. We are grateful for their continued trust in us, and we remain fully focused on helping our communities strengthen their resilience through the year ahead.”
Building Resilience
Despite social and economic challenges, people and businesses found more value and new opportunities online, aided by Shopee’s efforts to create value and new opportunities for all users:
- Creating value: Shoppers benefited from a collective US$1.7 billion in savings on groceries and everyday essentials by shopping online during monthly shopping campaigns on Shopee, including the 11.11-12.12 Mega Pamasko Sale, and exclusive brand deals, helping shoppers manage the rising cost of living.
- With the hustle and bustle of the holidays, Shopee worked with partner brands and sellers to give shoppers the best deals and discounts during the 11.11-12.12 Mega Pamasko Sale. Thanks to Shopee’s sellers and partner brands, shoppers were able to save over ₱ 64 million on December 12 alone.
- Forging new opportunities: Millions of local sellers across Southeast Asia grew their digital presence in 2022, with Shopee helping them to attract new customers and engage deeply with loyal buyers.
- Hailing from Pampanga, Donald is one of the many sellers who were able to maximize Shopee’s platform in growing his online store selling hotel-grade curtains and bedsheets. Going online has allowed him to cater to a nationwide audience, including hotels and the residential market. Today, he has over 100 employees that help him run his business.
Increasing Inclusion
Southeast Asia’s digital economy developed rapidly during the pandemic as more people adopted new technologies into their lives. Beyond cost savings and improving business resilience for MSMEs, more users transacted in the digital economy for the first time in 2022 on Shopee:
- Creating more joy and value: More people were able to enjoy the speed and ease of online shopping, no matter where they were
- Tens of millions of users shopped on Shopee for the first time in 2022, with over 85% coming from underserved regions outside of capitals and major cities
- Across Southeast Asia, local sellers from 200 localities came online with Shopee
- Growing digital access: More sellers were able to bring their businesses online, while more users transacted online using other services such as digital payments and food deliveries
- 24 million users made their first ShopeePay transaction in 2022;
- Through the multiple iterations of the Shopee University Roadshow in Cebu, Davao, and Pampanga, almost 400 business owners learned how to maximize growth for their businesses using e-commerce. In Pampanga, Shopee was able to engage with aspiring entrepreneurs from the Aeta community and train them on how they could increase reach for their handicrafts and traditional products with e-commerce.
Scaling Support
Across 2022, Shopee continued to use its platform and resources to benefit communities in need:
- Supporting meaningful local causes: Approximately 600,000 people participated in CSR efforts organised by Shopee and trusted partners, in support of communities in need
- Over thousands of Filipinos affected by disasters nationwide were able to benefit from the relief efforts of Shopee Bayanihan, Shopee’s umbrella CSR arm that seeks to contribute in the development of communities in need through collaboration with various stakeholders. In 2022, Shopee delivered 40,000 medicine tablets and 14,000 bottles of vitamins donated by Unilab, Shopee’s brand partner, for over 250 families in Bacoor, Cavite who were affected by severe tropical storm Paeng, and also aided over 350 families in Mandaue, Cebu who were displaced due to a massive fire.
- Last year, Shopee launched Barangay Shopee, a community-building initiative designed to help communities in need by enabling Filipinos to win a sponsored community project for their barangay. Out of hundreds of entries, Barangay Punta-Baja in Rizal, Palawan received over 1,200 arm chairs for their local high school that faced a chair shortage. Meanwhile, community members from Barangay Pinagtung-ulan in San Jose, Batangas were gifted with a newly renovated church just in time for Christmas.
- Uplifting local talent: Shopee also continued to upskill homegrown sellers, entrepreneurs and talents with programs such as Shopee University and Shopee Code League, putting them in a better position to succeed in the digital economy
- 2 million sellers upskilled through Shopee University as of 2022
- Approximately 20,000 local talents upskilled through Shopee’s tech competitions and training programs
Access Shopee Serves: Building Resilience with Technology in full here.
