KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 — In today's fiercely competitive retail landscape, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the fashion industry encounter significant hurdles in captivating shoppers, even across e-commerce.
Unlike other sectors, fashion MSMEs vie against each other and contend with prominent, resource-rich brands with broad recognition.
Additionally, the vast array of online options available to consumers poses a challenge for smaller players to stand out.
Constrained by limited budgets, manpower and tech limitations, and the need to establish trust with potential customers, Malaysian MSMEs often face an uphill battle in driving conversions and nurturing repeat business.
However, amidst these challenges, there are some available strategic solutions to support the growth of MSMEs.
By focusing on outstanding customer service and customer-centric strategies, Malaysian businesses can stand out, forging strong, lasting relationships with shoppers.
Beyond this, tools that help enhance the shopping experience, such as live streaming, offer great potential for sellers to capture buyers online.
Additionally, converting satisfied shoppers into advocates harnesses the power of positive word-of-mouth and glowing ratings and reviews, drives further growth, and helps establish a loyal customer base.
Going above and beyond: Personalised fashion advice from Perak to nationwide
One business that has achieved success through exceptional customer engagement is KM Fashion Centre.
Located in Teluk Intan, Perak, KM Fashion Centre sets itself apart with stylish yet affordable fashion selections that resonate with Malaysian shoppers.
Their dedication to excellence and affordability is complemented by a strong commitment to delivering a personalised customer-focused approach, positioning them uniquely in a competitive market.
KM Fashion Centre heavily relies on Shopee’s interactive features, such as Shopee Live and Shopee Chat, to provide a hands-on, tailored approach beyond the mere transactional aspect of shopping to cultivate enduring relationships with its customers.
Additionally, the fashion centre also uses Shopee’s analytic tools to allow them to curate their collections to precisely match customers’ preferences with their best-performing products, enabling them to offer a diverse range of choices that suit shoppers' tastes.
This customer-centric strategy has fueled remarkable growth for the brand, especially evident during the recent 6.6 campaign day, when order sizes tripled, and sales revenues doubled compared to the previous month.
KM Fashion Centre director Cris Low said Shopee has been a game-changer in facilitating direct connections with their customers.
"Shopee Live allows us to showcase our latest designs, which has helped to significantly boost our visibility and sales.”
KM Fashion Centre also uses Shopee Live to deepen its customer engagement.
It serves as a trusted channel for the brand to provide tailored fashion recommendations, collect direct feedback, and promptly respond to customer inquiries.
Through Shopee Live, the brand can reach more customers beyond their physical location, while still maintaining a high level of customer service.
Thus, Shopee Live created a new touchpoint highlighting KM Fashion Centre’s product quality and expertise and fostering brand loyalty.
Unlocking success with authentic customer reviews
Beyond personalisation, research shows that reviews and ratings play a crucial role in boosting sales and building trust with potential customers, while user-generated photos and videos can effectively address initial buyer concerns.
According to Shopee’s recent The Future of Shopping survey conducted with Kantar Profiles division, 19% per cent of Gen Z participants prioritise "highly recommended brands”.
Additionally, they heavily rely on reviews, demonstrations, and endorsements (27 per cent of respondents) when making purchasing decisions.
Located in Kuala Lumpur, Tudung Exclusive is a fashion brand that has achieved success on Shopee due to its exceptional customer experience as seen in its high customer reviews and ratings.
In just four years, the brand, which empowers young Malaysian women with elegant, dignified attire that fosters confidence, cultural pride, and individuality, has built a following of over 75,000 satisfied customers and earned an impressive 4.9-star rating.
Tudung Exclusive manager Muhammad Abdullah underscores the transformative impact of customer feedback on the brand’s evolution.
"Positive reviews and ratings not only affirm our dedication to excellence but also drive our ongoing efforts to offer customers high-quality, versatile, and affordable Hijabs," he said.
Through strategic engagement and a steadfast focus on customer satisfaction, Tudung Exclusive continues to thrive on Shopee, setting benchmarks for seller growth and enhancing its reputation in Malaysia’s dynamic fashion scene.
Increasing service quality and user engagement
For Shopee, the leading e-commerce marketplace in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, prioritising the continuous development of strategies and solutions to assist local businesses in overcoming challenges has always been a fundamental focus.
Shopee Malaysia marketing and business intelligence head Ming Kit Tan said driving the growth and development of local businesses have always been at the heart of what they do.
"At Shopee, our commitment to delivering excellent service quality to our users.
"This is why we continue to enhance our services which include improving buying and delivery experience in collaboration with our third party logistics partners, such as with the On-Time Guarantee programme and the new 15 Days Free Returns programme.”
"These programmes empower buyers with the assurance of prompt order fulfilment by all Shopee Supported Logistics and instil greater trust with buyers.
Shopee reinforces its commitment to this promise with a RM5 voucher for all deliveries that exceed the estimated delivery date provided.
In addition, with the growing preference among Malaysian consumers for an engaging and entertaining e-commerce shopping experience, Shopee also launched a new feature, Shopee Video, which provides bite-sized videos from content creators.
MSMEs can expect that Shopee Videos will provide useful positive word-of-mouth reviews and recommendations for their products, thus driving greater awareness and interest in their shops and products.
These new initiatives demonstrate Shopee’s dedication to sellers and consumers and its ability to meet their evolving needs.
