Shopee Boosts Malaysian Creative Economy, Scales Celebrity-and Influencer-owned Brands with Technology

Shopee Boosts Malaysian Creative Economy, Scales

Celebrity-and Influencer-owned Brands with Technology

Shopee Celebrity Squad brands grew 59% in revenue year-on-year; 55% increase in orders

Shopee unveils that Malaysian celebrity-and influencer-owned brands are gaining greater visibility in an increasingly saturated e-commerce landscape, in its latest ‘Shopee Super Awards 2022 Milestones’* study. The platform drives Malaysia’s creative economy by supporting local talents to scale their businesses and grow together with technology. Reviewing the past year’s performance, the study found that celebrity-and influencer-owned brands on Shopee had a 59% year-on-year growth in revenue from October 2021 to September 2022 compared to the year before.

Shopee Celebrity Squad was launched in 2018 creating a dedicated space with 97 brands for consumers to access celebrity-and influencer-owned products. Notable members include Dato' Sri Siti Nurhaliza, Neelofa, and Zoey Rahman, among others. These brands bring Malaysians more product choices through active livestream sessions, exclusive product launches, participation in Shopee’s Big Campaigns, and curating authentic, quality local goods for their audiences.

Shopee Celebrity Squad sellers actively engage with their viewers on livestream by offering interactive content, bringing a more personal touch for their audience. Sellers that conduct livestream sessions had over 166,000 cumulative unique viewers joining the sessions and over 20,000 peak continuous users watching the stream at any one point of time, over the past year. Sellers create fun content, play games and quizzes, and casually chat with their audiences to foster relationships. Viewers feel closer to the celebrities and influencers that they admire when these local talents bond with them through the livestreams.

Shopee hosts weekly exclusive launches for Shopee Celebrity Squad brands every Sunday, where the celebrities and influencers have a dedicated platform to showcase their new store or latest product to new and existing audiences. Through these launches, buyers feel excited to be one of the first to know about and purchase their favourite personality’s new releases on the microsite and receive better brand experiences when tuning into their live streams. These brands also saw 55% year-on-year growth in orders as a testament to their efforts.

Kenneth Soh, Head of Marketing Campaigns at Shopee Malaysia said, “As the retail sector opens up with the loosening of the pandemic restrictions, Shopee’s community of local celebrities and influencers have innovated their marketing tactics using technology to reach their audiences online. Shopee Celebrity Squad brands have about 80% Big Campaign participation rate throughout the year in their commitment to strengthen their online presence. It is estimated that 1 in 4 users claim vouchers with these brands during Big Campaigns. We hope to continuously empower our Shopee Celebrity Squad by connecting them to new users in Shopee’s growing and highly-engaged online community.”

Celebrity-and influencer-owned brands bring value, accessibility and convenience with authentic, quality local products on the platform. These sellers meet their audience’s lifestyle needs, from locally branded beauty essentials to affordable and specially crafted grocery items. Shopee Celebrity Squad brands, which offer proudly Malaysian-made products, saw a 54% year-on-year growth in gross merchandise value as they understand their audiences’ purchasing values. Consumers enjoy supporting their favourite local brands by making thoughtful purchases aligned with their needs.

Zoey Rahman, Shopee Celebrity Squad member and owner of MIKASERIES said, “There are many features I use to market my products on the platform, such as Shopee Live where I do daily livestreams, sometimes up to 3 times a day! When I participate in Big Campaigns, I realise that my exposure to new audiences and sales growth has also increased. Shopee’s networking events have also helped me to learn from other Shopee Celebrity Squad members and their growth strategies. In the future, MIKASERIES will be producing more high quality locally-made cosmetics that are comparable to international brands.”


The platform continuously encourages Shopee Celebrity Squad sellers to innovate and produce new brand experiences for their buyers through various in-app functions. Shopee will be recognising and celebrating the best and brightest Shopee Celebrity Squad members of 2022 at the upcoming Shopee Super Awards on 15 December.



1. Research Methodology*
The 2022 “Shopee Super Awards Milestone” study was conducted by Shopee Marketplace, taking research data from October 2020-September 2021 and October 2021-September 2022.
2. Look for your favourite celebrities and influencers on Shopee Celebrity Squad here: https://shopee.com.my/m/Shopee-Celebrity-Squad
3. For more information on Shopee Super Awards and how to vote for your favourite sellers, brands, and talents here: https://shopee.com.my/m/shopeesuperawards2022. Voting period ends on 30 November.

If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! You can also follow me on Instagram (@babysumo) for more photo updates or subscribe to our YouTube channel. Thanks :)

Food Malaysians Love to Eat Most

FOOD MALAYSIANS LOVE TO EAT MOST

ShopeeFood users reveal their best-rated restaurants across locations in Malaysia

The cultural diversity of Malaysia in many ways has influenced our unique flavours and ingredients. An amalgamation of Chinese, Indian, Malay and Borneo flavours, our taste buds are constantly tickled by a variety matched perhaps by no other place on earth.

Which brought ShopeeFood to survey our cities for the best five-star cuisines as rated by ShopeeFood users. During its last three major campaigns, such as the 9.9 Shopping Day, 10.10 Brand Sale and 11.11 Big Sale, ShopeeFood gathered data on food trends to find out what Malaysians loved to eat. Measured based on the most frequently ordered items on the ShopeeFood app, the survey showed two clear favourites: rice-based dishes and fried chicken.

There is no denying that rice is the heartland of this country. Aside from the multitudes of paddy fields across the nation, rice is our staple food, incorporated in our baby food, snacks, desserts and almost every meal. Whether it’s Chinese-style bowls of steaming rice, or the ever-famous Indian banana leaf meal, and not forgetting our beloved Malaysian Nasi Lemak, rice is in the DNA of Malaysia and its people.

While Roti Canai may have hit the top spot on ShopeeFood’s top five cuisines survey, rice-based dishes and some form of fried chicken are abundantly featured in our food trends.

Chicken dishes especially fried chicken not surprisingly also came out top in the best five stars cuisine found on the ShopeeFood app. Fried chicken is a treat savoured by young and old alike.

For some, fried chicken was a treat enjoyed during large weekly family gatherings or just as a workday lunch or dinner.

According to a survey in 2021, Malaysians are the third highest chicken consumers in the world with almost 50 kilograms of chicken consumed per year, per person. While it does not close in on the 82.3 kilograms of rice a Malaysian eats per year, for a population of just over 32 million people to be the 3rd highest chicken consumer in the world goes to show how much Malaysians love their chicken.

And we are not biased either. Whether it’s Ayam Goreng Berempah or the latest Korean-style fried chicken, Malaysians love their chicken in every way they can get it. Today we have hundreds of different styles of chicken at our fingertips – whether in person or online at ShopeeFood, the list is endless.


What ShopeeFood Order Trends Say

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Malaysians made the move towards delivery platforms to get their meals safely and easily. Given the convenience and wide variety of food options available at their fingertips, Malaysians increasingly prefer online food delivery. There are over 2,000 cuisines to choose from depending on your mood and taste for the day.

“People are becoming increasingly reliant and comfortable with digital services. Malaysians have readily adopted food delivery as it provides convenience, value, and variety. At ShopeeFood we are equally committed to helping more merchants whether enterprise or local heroes to benefit from Shopee’s large ecosystem and adopt new ways of doing business and gaining new customers,” said Kwa Yin Leng, Head of Operations for ShopeeFood Malaysia.

“We are very excited with this survey as it shows what we love most as Malaysians when it comes to food. During our peak promotion periods like 9.9, 10.10 and 11.11, rice-baseddishes had approximately 3x uplift in terms of orders compared to an average day. This shows that Malaysians not only enjoy rice as a staple food but are also keen to take advantage of the sale period to get the best value for their orders,” she added.

ShopeeFood was established in 2021 to help its users benefit from a convenient and hassle-free food delivery experience by providing numerous eateries, from popular joints to local street food stalls, at the best value. As part of Shopee’s existing ecosystem that includes the mobile wallet ShopeePay, along with amazing deals and promotions all year round, Malaysians have a secure, and rewarding payment and delivery experience with ShopeeFood.

ShopeeFood Users Rate Their Favourite Five-Star Restaurants

ShopeeFood surveyed its users’ choices to find out the best rice dishes and fried chicken in Kuala, Lumpur, Putrajaya, Selangor, Penang, Johor, Ipoh and Kota Kinabalu. While the all-time favourites included Nasi Lemak, BuburAyam, Nasi Kukus and fried chicken - we observed that users loved variety when it comes to preparations such as Middle Eastern, Korean, International and Japanese.

Here’s a list of the top five restaurants from all over Malaysia picked by ShopeeFood users as the best places to get your rice dishes and a variety of fried chicken fixes from.

Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya

Whether it’s Nasi Campur or Chinese cuisine, these folks know where to go for good food. For the best five-star rated rice dishes and fried chicken, just click on the links below and ShopeeFood users will show you the way. 

Restaurant Names (Voted five-stars for rice dishes)	Restaurant Names (Voted five-stars for fried chicken dishes)
Klasik Aroma SalaiDesaPetaling  Nasi Lemak @ Sunny Food Republic KL Lan Zhou Mee Tarik @ Bukit Bintang  Warung DD Takoyaki LelehMasok - Kg Baru	Krayz Kitchen Cheras Restaurant Man Kee Kepong Minang House @ SegambutDalam My Utara Burger Kuala Lumpur  Komo Cafe @ TTDI

Penang

Up north at our very own food haven Penang, besides the distinct Penang food, users also enjoy Middle Eastern food such as Mandi Chicken and juicy fried chicken burgers. 

Restaurant Names (Voted five-stars for rice dishes)	Restaurant Names  (Voted five-stars for fried chicken dishes)
ZUS Coffee @ Jelutong Mr. Shawerma @ USM Plaza Ivory Familymart Jalan Burma Penang TandukBihun Sup Utara Bayan Lepas Mr. Shawerma @ QueensBay Mall	TandukBihun Sup Utara Bayan Lepas The BRGR @Jln Nagor Farmer's Market Promenade Soft Soya Cafe Teras Jaya Tunas Bistro Jalan Paya Terubong

 Johor

Johorians love their traditional fried chicken with rice. Apart from that, Johorians picked ‘hotpot’ soup to go with their rice, deep-fried chicken with herbs and spices and some amazing curry and rice. 

Restaurant Names (Voted five-stars for rice dishes)	Restaurant Names  (Voted five-stars for fried chicken dishes)
Marrybrown @ Kluang Econsave Donkey RestoranRestoran Tyson BuburAyam Batu Pahat Embrace Hall Cafe @ Jalan Impian Emas Shu Da Xia Hotpot @ Taman Sutera Utama Skudai	Gang Shi Fei @ Taman Nusa Bestari Bliss Cafe Danga Bay Tea Garden Aeon Mall Kulai DMR Segar Dim Sum Halal Sutera Mall Nasi Kukus Station D Mawar Cafe

 

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Middle Eastern, Japanese, and local cuisines – diverse Sabahans love a variety and their top picks will leave you spoilt for choice. 

Restaurant Names (Voted five-stars for rice dishes)	Restaurant Names  (Voted five-stars for fried chicken dishes)
Restaurant Nasi Mandi @ Lorong Plaza Kingfisher Kopi Ping Cafe @ Gaya Streets Goku Mozza ChsCrndog Boba BrownSugar Recipes House Damai Plaza Miyabi Express (Funky Farm)	Restaurant Nasi Mandi @ Lorong Plaza Kingfisher Goku Mozza ChsCrndog Boba BrownSugar Miyabi Express (Funky Farm) Wo Yen Kee @ Jalan Damai Yam Yam Cafe @ Penampang

 

 Ipoh, Perak

Known for its Hakka culture, cave temples and colonial old town, Ipoh is most definitely famous for its food. Along with its heritage dishes, nasi lemak, fried chicken chop and Korean fried chicken are some of the dishes that made it to the top of Ipoh’s favourite list. 

Restaurant Names (Voted five-stars for rice dishes)	Restaurant Names  (Voted five-stars for fried chicken dishes)
CapatiWarisan Pak Lang PGA AZ Qifayah @ Batu 8 MeeUdangKetam&Masakan Thai @Tmn Tnjg Perdana R Heritage Recipes @ Meru B2 Ipoh Alieya Cafe @ Taman Mas Restoran Nasi KandarBharkat @ Taman Cempaka	CapatiWarisan Pak Lang PGA AZ Qifayah @ Batu 8 Cikgu Fuad Catering @ Kampung Jana Sambungan R Heritage Recipes @ Meru B2 Ipoh Chego Taiping RestoranAnjung D' PuncakChemor

 

Selangor

And finally, users in Selangor have a thing for AsamPedas with rice, old-time favourite Ayamas fried chicken and a fancy for Korean chicken. 

Restaurant Names (Voted five-stars for rice dishes)	Restaurant Names  (Voted five-stars for fried chicken dishes)
LabbaikRuzz Tent & Cafe @ Taman Melawar D WesturnTalam Jalan Iskandar DubuYo Mini Plaza Shah Alam SalaiD'HouseWgsaMlawati D LawangAsamPedasKlang	RestoranAsmaas Nasi Kandar Kuala Selangor KedaiAyamasSeksyen 9 K-Wing @ Taman Perindustrain Ehsan Jaya Nasi Berlauk Abe @ Klang KafeAn Nur's @ DenaiAlam

Hungry Already? Here’s a 12.12 Promo Sale for You!

 The year-end 12.12 sale is finally here! Get exclusive deals from a wide range of restaurants and order all your favourite food with these super offers: 

●        Free Delivery with RM0 min spend

●        Super Deals up to 50% OFF on selected merchants such as Thong Kee Cafe, Little KL Food Hall, Tea Can Tin, Pop Meals, Kee Nguyen - Vietnam Coffee, Nasi Lemak Saleha and much more.

●        Shocking Sale at RM12 starting from 6th - 12th December 2022

If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! You can also follow me on Instagram (@babysumo) for more photo updates or subscribe to our YouTube channel. Thanks :)

Recipe: Fu Chuk Yi Mai (Dried Beancurd with Barley & Gingko)

Making another one of my favourite tong sui (Chinese dessert soup)! This time, it's Fu Chuk Yi Mai Pak Kor, translated as Dried beancurd with barley and ginkgo. Super easy and super yummy!

I’m using Job’s tears also known as Chinese barley or Yi Yi ren 薏苡仁 which has more health benefits compared to regular barley. Job's tears is good for those who have high cholesterol or have eczema, congestion etc. Try this classic Chinese dessert today.

Check out the YouTube recipe video here:

Fu Chuk Yi Mai (Dried Beancurd with Barley & Gingko)

Recipe by Baby Sumo

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour to 1 hour 15 mins
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients
100g Job’s Tears / Chinese barley, rinsed
60g dried beancurd sheet (for dessert)
1.5l water
80g (40 pcs) peeled and ready to use ginkgo nuts
50g rock sugar
6 pandan leaves, rinsed and knotted

1. Soak beancurd sheets in tap water for 30 mins. Cut into 2” lengths using scissors. Drain and set aside.

2. Place water, pandan leaves and Job’s tears in a pot and bring to boil. Once boiling, simmer for 30 mins. Remove pandan leaves.

3. Add beancurd sheets and simmer for further 30-45 mins, until beancurd has disintegrated into smaller pieces.

4. Add rock sugar to taste. Add ginkgo and cook for further 5 mins. Ready to serve.

You can buy Job’s Tears (Chinese barley) here : https://shope.ee/q9QPKwxNp

You can buy dried beancurd sheet here: https://shope.ee/4KjIZrYtHc

If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! You can also follow me on Instagram (@babysumo) for more photo updates or subscribe to our YouTube channel. Thanks :)

Shopee: The Future of E-Commerce with Malaysian Influencers

Today, Shopee Malaysia hosted the Future of E-Commerce with Malaysian Influencers, a virtual forum discussing the relatability of influencer community online. The panel featured four keynote speakers: Hanita Sayuti (Shopee Bintang Seller), Nikki Wong (Shopee Livestream Influencer), Syazwani Md Saad (Shopee Affiliate), and Mr Kenneth Soh (Head of Marketing Campaigns at Shopee Malaysia).

Emphasising the power of livestreaming to build more engaging and personalised relationships online, Kenneth Soh said: “On Shopee, we have an ecosystem of trusted influencers — they are fellow users and sellers themselves who provide authentic experiences during Big Campaigns. While thousands of buyers watch Shopee Live daily, not everyone watches solely for shopping purposes. In fact, 27% of our surveyed buyers watch Shopee Live for entertainment and educational content. For example, in Shopee Live’s “Mum's Club Show” programme, communities of mom influencers speak about health topics related to other moms, kids, and even kids with special needs.

“This is an increasingly important channel for sellers to drive conversion on the marketplace. Our data shows that 75% of surveyed customers follow influencers’ tutorial videos in order to solve problems and expand their product knowledge.”

Hanita Sayuti, Shopee Bintang Seller who also runs a fragrance business called Zheo Lab said,  “Influencer marketing is important for business owners as a touchpoint for audiences. There are no brand or product limitations. Personally I’ll be engaging with local celebrity, Dato Rosyam Nor as the ambassador of my Cat Perfume, one of my best selling products on Shopee. Our promotion video has already gone live and we look forward to collaborating with more influencers in the future.”

Speaking on the future of e-commerce, influencers Nikki Wong (shop owner of Bitcraft) and Syazwani Md Saad (a reviewer on home and living products) both agree that listening with empathy and developing personalised content are important for building long-term customer loyalty. Nikki shared, “Consistency breeds familiarity, familiarity breeds confidence, and confidence breeds sales. I don't have the intention of going live just to get sales, but to share something good with my followers as I would to a friend.” Nikki is part of Shopee Live’s All Stars community, an active and supportive group of influencers who frequently share product reviews, DIY tips, and even feedback on each other’s livestream feeds.

Swazwani added, “I practise transparency and consistency as I attract people who share my values. I make sure to greet my followers every morning and share about my day with them. The process takes time. We should not be afraid to enquire and collaborate with businesses and brands to increase our experience and exposure.”

In the “Future of E-Commerce with Malaysian Influencers” survey of 2,459 buyers, 75% of Malaysian shoppers indicated that they wanted to feel more connected through bonding and interacting with followers, fostering strong brand relationships, and staying relevant. In other words, to future proof themselves and stand out in a crowd, Shopee encourages influencers to continue building loyalty by being authentically human in their content and engagements.

Notes to Editor
1. Survey Methodology*
The 2022 “The Future of E-Commerce with Malaysian Influencers” survey was conducted by Shopee Marketplace, between 28 September and 26 October 2022. Voluntary feedback was obtained from 2,459 Malaysian buyers and 1,035 Malaysian sellers on the platform.
2. To rewatch the full virtual forum, visit https://youtu.be/K9s2nHxpSKE

If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! You can also follow me on Instagram (@babysumo) for more photo updates or subscribe to our YouTube channel. Thanks :)

Majestic Banana Leaf, Semenyih

We were in Semenyih recently and dropped by Majestic Banana Leaf located in Eco Majestic for lunch. Hubby and I had the banana leaf rice set (RM7 during Deepavali, normal price RM8.50) which comes with rice, 3 different types of vegetables, your choice of curries (mutton, chicken or dhal) as well as papadam and rasam. Banana leaf rice is available daily from 11.45 am onwards.

We also had the mutton varuval (RM8) and chicken 65 (RM6.50). We enjoyed the mutton, nice and tender, and quite a generous portion. 

Our kids had the roti canai (RM1.50) which are freshly made to order. Nice and crisp, with nice accompanying dhal and curry.

Service here is good and friendly too. Air-conditioned and clean restaurant. Overall, a good, positive experience.


Opening hours: 8am to 8pm.

Price: Total bill RM42.80 for 4 pax.

Location: Majestic Banana Leaf, 18, Jalan Eco Majestic 9/1B, 47300 Beranang, Semenyih, Selangor. (plenty of free parking)

Tel: 03-8724 3655

If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! You can also follow me on Instagram (@babysumo) for more photo updates or subscribe to our YouTube channel. Thanks :)

Ume Tei Japanese Restaurant, MyTOWN KL

Ume Tei: A once hidden Japanese restaurant inside BookXcess, MyTOWN Shopping Centre,, well, not so hidden anymore as there have clear signs leading to the restaurant now.

They serve mostly set meals, here’s what we had:
✨ Tempura sashimi set (RM35)
✨ Nigiri sushi set (RM38)
✨ Bara chirashi set (RM30)

Each set comes with potato salad, pickles, chawanmushi, miso soup and jelly dessert. Enjoyable, and good service too. Refillable green tea at RM3 per pax.

See how many “Banksy-esque” rats you can find around the bookstore.

Opening hours: Mon - Thu 11am - 3pm; 5pm - 9.30pm; Fri-Sun 11am - 9.30pm.

Price: Total bill RM152.90 for 4 pax.

Location: Ume Tei Japanese Restaurant, Lot L1-012, Level 1, BookXcess MyTown Shoping Centre, Jalan Cochrane, Seksyen 90, 55100 Kuala Lumpur. 

Tel: 012-247 7911

If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! You can also follow me on Instagram (@babysumo) for more photo updates or subscribe to our YouTube channel. Thanks :)