Things you need to know about Shopee
Shopee, based in Singapore, is one of the most popular online marketplaces in South East Asia. The platform is available in several countries of Asia and South America, including Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brazil. Like most major online marketplaces, Shopee sells electronics, fashion, beauty, toys, jewellery, and even groceries.
The history of Shopee
Shopee started in 2015 as a social media shopping platform. The founders intended it as a “mobile-centric” platform so that people who prefer using their smartphones to their laptops could still access an online marketplace. Although Shopee initially started as an “app-based” platform, it soon launched a website to keep up with rivals like Lazada.
As of 2021, there were 500 million downloads of the Shopee app. One of the main pulls for Shopee is the ease of use for both sellers and consumers. In fact, the shopping experience on this platform is best when used on a smartphone, which contributed to its popularity in several regions of Indonesia and the Philippines where desktop internet usage is low but mobile usage is really high.
Shopee and counterfeiting
Shopee is known for its low prices and heavy discounts. However, these two features usually go hand in hand with counterfeited, grey marketed, and/or very low quality goods.
Although Shopee has an anti-counterfeit policy in place, it may not be effective enough to keep fraudsters off the platform. In early 2021 Shopee and Lazada signed an agreement with various global brands, including Unilever Philippines, GlaxoSmithKline and Globe Telecom, to strengthen their action against counterfeiters.
According to the document, “Shopee and Lazada agree to restrict the sale of counterfeit goods online ‘in a timely and efficient manner’ when these are reported by brand owners.”
The key phrase here is “when these are reported by brand owners.” While it’s indeed good news that these marketplaces want to do more against counterfeiters, it’s still mostly up to brands to detect and report these problems. Which is not an easy task for anybody who’s not a trained online brand protection expert.
How do you use Shopee?
Shopee’s popularity is largely due to its ease of use. All you need to do is download the app and log in with your Facebook or Google account and you are ready to go. In some regions, you can pay with Shopee’s own wallet, or by debit or credit card.
Another feature that makes Shopee stand out is that you can pay cash on delivery. This option makes it a viable alternative to sites like eBay and Gumtree.
The future of Shopee
Since its launch in 2015, Shopee has become one of the most visited e-commerce sites in the region. The marketplace currency boasts 4.75 million visitors per month, up from 2 million recorded in September 2020. With the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting boost to e-Commerce, the future looks bright for Shopee.
Despite the recent pledge to fight harder against counterfeiters, brands may still encounter fake or grey marketed versions of their products on the platform. Don’t accept this as an inevitable fact of life, contact us at globaleyez and find out how we can help you protect your brand.
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We at globaleyez are market-leading online brand protection experts. We find and take action against counterfeiters, grey marketers, and copyright infringers that harm our clients’ brands. We’re based in Germany, but our services cover the entire world. We conduct test purchases, monitor marketplaces, provide enforcement services, and much more. Reach out to us and let us know how we can help your brand.
