Shopee reveals what drives Malaysian consumer loyalty to their favourite brands online in its October 2022 study ‘Winning Malaysian Loyalty on E-Commerce’*. For official brands with storefronts on Shopee Mall, repeat purchases are driven by value-added services and guarantees. 87% of Malaysians surveyed prefer Shopee Mall official brands due to 100% guaranteed authentic products, hassle-free returns, and free shipping. The remaining 13% feel rewarded by exclusive product launches and Shopee Brand Memberships. 

For all other sellers across the platform, 5 in 10 shoppers repeatedly return to their favourite stores for more than 4 years due to in-app personalization and engaging recommendations. These respondents equated personalised engagements with: 25% loved product recommendations and bundles that fit their needs, 14% trusted in safe and secure packaging, 8% timely chat responses, and 4% personal gift surprises. On the other hand, 49% preferred being rewarded with vouchers and discounts over personalisation.

Kenneth Soh, Head of Marketing Campaigns at Shopee Malaysia said, “It’s encouraging for brands to know that Malaysian consumers are very discerning online and will be loyal to brands that can be trusted. When faced with two similar sellers, 6 in 10 customers still choose official Shopee Mall brands because Shopee ensures users receive twice their money back if the products purchased on Shopee Mall are not authentic. Shopee Mall is trusted by over 4,500 partner brands in Malaysia and many of whom are integrating their offerings and campaigns with us to better serve their customers.”

“We are pleased to see many sellers driving more engagement with higher levels of customer service, winning customer loyalty as a result. We aim to innovate new in-app features that will provide extra added value for all users and a better buying-and-selling experience on Shopee,” Soh added.

When not shopping online, survey respondents indicate that the primary driver of continued in-app engagement is discovering new interests on the platform; 42% surveyed enjoy exploring new products and trends. 36% play games, 14% participate in lucky draws. The remainder watch Shopee Live for entertainment or make donations to their favourite NGOs. 

According to the study, Malaysian shoppers do not only purchase the things they need and love from brands they are loyal to, they want to be entertained, connect with others, be inspired, and do so with an ease of mind. It is no surprise therefore that 60% of long-time sellers on the platform (over 5 years) build positive relationships with customers on Shopee through a combination of timely seller support features, market-researched offerings and affiliate networks. For example, 14% use Shopee Chat to cultivate and nurture deeper, more trusting relationships. Since 2019, Shopee Live has also seen sellers launch streams to demonstrate products, answer buyer questions, and get real-time feedback from shoppers.

‘Winning Malaysian Loyalty on E-Commerce’ is part of Shopee’s thought leadership series of year-end consumer and seller trends during big e-commerce campaigns. These data-driven insights allow business owners and brands to retain and reward loyal shoppers online.