PayPal Identifies Global Selling Opportunities for Malaysia Merchants This Festive Season
Nov 20, 2013 (Wed): The global consumer online shopping bonanza during the festive season brought on a bounty of selling opportunities for Malaysia merchants in 2012, with local PayPal merchants fulfilling orders from an international audience at a rate of as much as 5 transactions per minute on 3rd December 2012, the busiest selling day of the season last year.
Between October and December, a traditional festive shopping rush period around the world, Malaysia merchants using PayPal reaped a 20% year-on-year increase in sales volumes. Merchants in Malaysia saw the fastest growth in sales volumes year-on-year from buyers in Singapore (67%), China (27%), United States (22%), Australia (14%) and Japan (13%).
These growth trends can been attributed to a growing number of international consumers looking beyond their home countries for the best year-end deals or that perfect gift, outfit or holiday for Christmas, as well as subsequent festive periods including New Year celebrations and Chinese New Year. The top categories for Malaysian merchants experiencing high year-on-year growth, were auto-parts (12%), fashion (18%), and cosmetics (10%).
This positive trend is expected to continue for Malaysia merchants with the 2013 year-end shopping period, with PayPal’s recent modern spice routes report by Nielsen reflecting that merchants could tap into a possible USD100 billion in online commerce revenues spent by international consumers this year.
Audrey Ottevanger, Country Manager for Malaysia & the Philippines, PayPal said, “The festive season has always been a great time for consumers to shop as they get ready for the festivities and the new year, and it’s never been easier for them to shop online from international stores. This is a chance for local merchants to tap into global buying trends and sell beyond their shores. Merchants looking to expand their business should embrace cross-border e-commerce and the incredible sales opportunity especially at the year-end. With a globally-trusted payment platform like PayPal, merchants can reach out to over 137 million international shoppers across 193 markets with 26 currencies, enabling them to pay more securely in just a few clicks. ”
Mark Koay, Founder and Group CEO of Photobook Worldwide said “The year-end holiday season is usually the busiest time for Photobook Worldwide, as people rush to order photobooks to capture their best memories of the year. With consumers starting their festive shopping early, we began our Christmas promotions in mid-October and it’s an exciting time for us as we gear up for the year-end rush. Having PayPal as a payment option helps build trust with our international customers who are more comfortable paying with a globally-recognised payment solution that is convenient to use and ensures their transactions are secure while they order gifts for family and friends.”
Founder of Milktee, Goh Cheang Huang shared his company’s plans leading up to the festive season. “At Milktee, we are now stocking up on our inventory and all other necessary items such as packaging supplies and free gifts to prepare for the upcoming year-end buying surge. In addition, we are also gearing up for the festive season promotions and sales such as the Boxing Day sales, when we offer many really great deals to holiday shoppers. Our customers all over the world can pay conveniently and securely using PayPal, and we merchants also benefit from the Seller Protection Policy that lessens our risk from potential fraud,”
Audrey Ottevanger added, “With our data outlining huge international opportunities for merchants in Malaysia, it’s not just consumers, but merchants too who have much to look forward to during the holidays. This is especially so with the recent launch of our Seller Protection policy which helps safeguard eligible merchants against risks when selling online, including fraudulent transactions and items not received by the buyer. Our ability to protect both the buyer and seller in the same transaction ensures that merchants can focus on wrapping up their sales year on a high, knowing they are well-protected this holiday season.”
