KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s e-commerce market is poised for significant growth in 2025, building on the rapid expansion seen in 2023 and 2024, according to Ninja Van’s cross-border regional vice president, Jeremy Hong.
He attributed the surge to evolving consumption behaviours driven by the rise of social media and live-selling platforms in the post-COVID-19 era.
“E-commerce experienced a boom during that period, followed by some normalisation post-COVID. However, we subsequently observed tremendous growth on the cross-border side of things.
“Several factors contribute to this, including the availability of information, particularly on social media platforms such as TikTok,“ he said.
Hong spoke to reporters after delivering a discussion titled “Expanding Horizons, One Parcel at a Time,“ which explored strategies for navigating cross-border e-commerce challenges and unlocking growth opportunities in Southeast Asia.
Also present for the discussion were the head of growth at Milieu Insight Marcus Lim, the chief relationship officer of EasyStore Yienyee Soh, and client solution manager of CPXI Asia Sam Zhang.
Hong further noted that the shift in consumption behaviours had significantly expanded the market.
“With social media and live-selling platforms, products are marketed directly to consumers even when they are not actively searching for them,“ he added.
At the same event, Ninja Van launched its e-guide or white paper titled “From Malaysia to Southeast Asia: A Practical Guide for E-commerce Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Expanding Beyond Borders”.
The guide aims to assist Malaysian businesses in tapping into Southeast Asia’s dynamic e-commerce landscape.
In a separate statement, Ninja Van said the e-guide was developed in collaboration with market research firm Milieu Insight, based on a survey of 1,200 shoppers from six Southeast Asian countries – Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia – conducted in November 2024.
One key finding from the survey revealed that Malaysian brands stand out as trusted choices among Southeast Asian e-commerce shoppers.
The survey also highlighted that the top cross-border shopping categories across these six countries include fashion and accessories (68 per cent), health and beauty (46 per cent), and food and beverages (27 per cent).
Ninja Van’s head of cross-border, Denise Wong, said these findings underscore Malaysian businesses’ competitive advantage in the regional e-commerce market.
“With Malaysia’s strong brand presence and its strategic location at the heart of Southeast Asia, local businesses are well-positioned to leverage the country’s advanced logistics network for seamless cross-border expansion into neighbouring markets,“ she added.
