What should Shopee local stores sell? How to operate?

For some friends, choosing to open a store on the cross-border e-commerce platform Shopee is a good choice, but it is also a big challenge, as it is equivalent to starting a cross-border e-commerce business from scratch. So the question is, what should Shopee’s local stores sell?

The most popular category on the Thailand site is still clothing, as locals love Hawaiian-style clothing with retro prints. In addition, personal care products, cosmetics, and maternal and child products also account for a relatively high proportion in the e-commerce market. The most popular products on the Taiwan site include women's clothing, maternal and child products, household goods, outdoor sports, leisure and entertainment, 3C electronics, and luggage, which are more popular among consumers.

The Malaysia site mainly focuses on toys, clothing, beauty and other products.

The main hot-selling products on the Philippines site are 3C digital electronic products.

Consumers at the Singapore site are more inclined to purchase imported auto parts. Cars are relatively expensive in Singapore, so the profit from selling auto parts per unit will be higher.

We can choose according to our own direction and needs. It is best to have a clear understanding of the sales rules, local cultural attributes and customs of each site. Only by knowing the needs of the local market can we make profits better.

Shopee’s local store operation skills

First of all, it should be clear that if there are any operational or logistical problems with local stores, the Shenzhen and Shanghai Shopee business teams will not be able to provide any support to the seller. So be careful in operation. If you need to find a local person to provide personal information, remember to find a reliable person.

Secondly, Shopee's SLS logistics is relatively cost-effective, but SLS logistics does not support local stores and is recommended for cross-border stores. Therefore, local sellers must act within their means when preparing goods, and operations must be able to calculate accurate replenishment points.

Finally, opening a local store will involve some cost. For example, if the Chinese seller does not have a local payment account, an agent will be needed to collect the payment and charge a service fee.

It is 2022 now. It is a trend for Chinese sellers to open local stores, but Shopee will definitely curb it. Because as a local e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia, the original intention is to help local sellers and boost local GDP development. There may be a lot of dividends to be gained in the early days, but the platform has become more and more strict in terms of traffic distribution and rules.

On the surface, local stores seem to have certain advantages, but when we engage in cross-border e-commerce, we must consider our own actual situation. Operating a local Shopee store in China is much higher in terms of cost and difficulty.

Recommended reading:

How does Shopee ship goods across borders? Introduction to the process

Should Shopee Taiwan set up free shipping? What products are hot selling?

How does Shopee Taiwan select products and set prices? What aspects should be paid attention to?