Shopee’s latest Chinese New Year (CNY) consumer trend insights highlight a growing shift in how Malaysians shop for festive essentials, further reinforcing the gradual move from traditional shopping to online platforms.
Items that were once typically bought offline are now being purchased online as more Malaysians are embracing e-commerce for its convenience, competitive prices, and interactive shopping experiences.
The growing popularity of livestream shopping, real-time interactions with sellers, and tailored product recommendations further underscores how digital innovation is reshaping CNY shopping habits while preserving cherished traditions.
Shopee Live remains the go-to platform for consumers seeking engaging, real-time shopping experiences. This CNY, 116% more Malaysian buyers chose to interact with sellers, ask questions, and discover products via livestream shopping compared to the last CNY.
This surge in engagement shows that live commerce has grown steadily as the key avenue for discovering CNY-related products and festive shopping.
With this rise in live shopping, Shopee Affiliates are seizing new and evolving opportunities by launching their own livestreams. During this campaign, the number of affiliate livestreams skyrocketed by over 160% and resulted in 240% increase in orders for local businesses selling CNY goods.
By hosting livestreams, affiliates build trusted relationships with their followers, offering real-time recommendations, exclusive deals and an interactive shopping experience that helps audiences make informed purchasing decisions.
Bell Hee Pek Wan, a top-performing Shopee Affiliate and the winner of Shopee Superstar Awards 2020 ‘Most Loved Streamer’ award, helped sellers achieve an 85% revenue increase per item during the CNY campaign through her engaging livestreams.
“Livestreaming allows me to connect shoppers with the right products while demonstrating their quality and value in real time. I showcase CNY essentials— from auspicious home & living products like festive decorations and dining sets to storage solutions and trending beauty products —while guiding shoppers on maximising savings with Shopee Coins and vouchers.
“This interactive experience builds trust and drives sales, benefiting both my audience and the sellers I collaborate with,” she said.
With the help of digital shopping, Malaysians continue to uphold cultural traditions by leveraging e-commerce for greater convenience. More shoppers turned to Shopee for CNY staples, reflecting a strong demand for festive goods now purchased online.
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Festive treats saw the highest demand, with searches for cookies, snacks, hampers, and beverages surging over 3,000%, underlining the growing trend of sourcing festive goodies online.
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Home decorations became a key focus, with searches for “CNY decor” and “red lanterns” increasing by over 1,700% as Malaysians opt for online shopping to transform their homes for the season.
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Fashion and beauty remained top priorities, as searches for red dresses, cheongsam, and traditional attire surged by 1,600%, while beauty products like red lipstick, eyeshadow, and nail polish jumped by 1,900%, showing that shoppers are embracing online platforms for their full festive styling needs.
Shoppers also maximised Shopee’s best deals, purchasing nearly 2 million items under the “Lowest Price Guaranteed” program and redeeming over 620 million Shopee Live vouchers, saving over RM52 million on celebratory essentials.
With CNY preparations in full swing, convenience was key with over 2 million self-collection orders enabling seamless pickups, while more than 20 million Free Shipping vouchers ensured fast, hassle-free deliveries, letting customers focus on celebrating with loved ones.
Tan Ming Kit, Head of Marketing and Business Intelligence at Shopee Malaysia said “Malaysians are embracing digital commerce not just for convenience but also for interactive experiences like livestreaming, which enhance engagement and help them make informed purchasing decisions.
This shift demonstrates how e-commerce is transforming shopping behaviours, proving that even items traditionally bought offline are now readily available online, leading to increased online purchases.
“This enables consumers to celebrate traditions in new ways while benefiting from modern retail solutions. Shopee remains committed to delivering a seamless and rewarding shopping experience for both consumers and sellers.”
