Image credit: Amanz
PETALING JAYA: The number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) exporting to four or more continents increased by 81 per cent after joining eBay in 2021, Southeast Asia and India regional general manager Vidmay Naini said.
He said Malaysian sellers on the e-commerce marketplace had also seen strong growth in a number of categories in 2021.
"The main goal of eBay in Southeast Asia is to enable SMEs to sell globally.
"The marketplace offers 142 million active buyers across more than 3,000 product categories, with market access to 190 markets.
"On eBay, export is no longer the privilege of large enterprises. SMEs in Malaysia can easily reach consumers in some of the world's largest consumer markets, such as the US, UK, Germany, and Australia, and become mini multinational corporations," he said at the launch of eBay Southeast Asia Small Business Trade Report July 2022 here today.
Also present were the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) senior director Khairul Annuar Abdul Halim and Selangor Information Technology & Digital Economy Corporation (SIDEC) chief executive officer Yong Kai Ping.
Vidmay said that in the auto parts and accessories category, Malaysian sellers had seen growth in wheels, tires, and parts sales by 29 per cent in 2021, while electrical and ignition parts had grown by 76 per cent.
There was also an increase in sales by Malaysian sellers on eBay in the cell phones and accessories category, with smartwatches increasing by 24 per cent, headsets by 33 per cent and smartphones by 15 per cent.
Meanwhile, sports trading card singles in the collectables category increased exponentially by 109 per cent.
Vidmay said that among the six Southeast Asian markets of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam covered in the report, 68 per cent of eBay-enabled small businesses exported to 10 or more international markets.
In 2020, the region's eBay-enabled small business community made sales in 214 international markets.
"eBay's global marketplace is uniquely positioned to offer Southeast Asian SMEs e-commerce export opportunities.
"While less than 20 per cent of traditional businesses in each of the six markets highlighted in this report export, all eBay-enabled small businesses in Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam are exporters, and more than 95 per cent in Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore use eBay to reach global consumers.
"As a result, eBay enables small businesses to become global retailers from day one, and the eBay marketplace offers them an extended growth runway that is both diversified and resilient," he added.
Source: https://www.nst.com.my/business/2022/07/816868/domestic-smes-ebay-increase-81pc-2021-report-show