- eBay solidifies its presence in the Southeast Asia region with new leadership appointment and campaign to support SMEs to go digital for exports
- High-growth exports from SEA: Watches & Jewellery, Trading Cards, and Auto Parts
BANGKOK, 23 March 2022 – eBay, a global e-commerce leader that connects millions of buyers and sellers around the world, today announced that it has seen a surge in demand for products in certain unique categories that are exported worldwide by Southeast Asian sellers. With the recent shift in online shoppers’ behaviour, eBay in Southeast Asia observed that international buyers’ purchasing decisions are increasingly driven by their passions and interests.
Vidmay Naini, recently appointed Country Manager of eBay for Southeast Asia and India, said, “Southeast Asia, especially Thailand, has been one of the regions that offers uniquely sought-after items to eBay buyers across the globe, and we are seeing significant opportunities for Thai SMEs to start their export businesses on eBay and sell in-demand products.
The top five in-demand categories for Southeast Asia sellers on eBay are:
- Luxury watches.
- Trading cards.
- Automotive parts and accessories.
- Gemstones & jewellery.
- Furniture
Collectibles gain in popularity, become most sought-after items
eBay in Southeast Asia noted that pre-loved luxury watches from Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia are in high demand among buyers in the United States. In 2021, sales of watches with an average selling price in excess of USD $2,000 increased by 62% year-on-year.
In addition, eBay’s Trading Cards category is growing significantly faster than the overall marketplace. Collectible Cards enthusiasts throughout Southeast Asia have been profiting from this trend as buyers turn their hobbies into alternative investment vehicles.
“Our trading cards business has been growing for the past six years, and the recent surge speaks to the immense cultural significance of the category. When we look at the sales growth from the Southeast Asia region, we found that the category of collectible cards exported by Southeast Asian sellers via eBay has been growing in the double digits,” said Vidmay.
Thailand’s role as an auto parts exporter to the world
Automotive parts and accessories have remained some of the best-selling products from Southeast Asia for several years now. They show significant growth, with a 39% compound annual growth rate from 2019 to 2021 for motorcycle parts exported from Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia to international destinations including the US and Australia.
“We are also seeing the rising popularity of furniture exported from Malaysia to the US, while gemstones & jewellery exported from Thailand and Indonesia are popular in the US and Europe. Products such as gemstones & jewellery are always sought-after on eBay as there are frequent buyers in foreign countries who are retailers, as well as consumers,” added Vidmay.
Reinforcing eBay’s commitment to growing SMEs in Southeast Asia
Vidmay Naini’s appointment to lead eBay in Southeast Asia reinforces its commitment to continuously supporting Southeast Asian SMEs in their export journey.
“Businesses of all sizes in this region have tremendous potential to expand and grow on eBay’s global marketplace, which has more than 147 million buyers from 190 countries. We have built a dynamic Southeast Asia team to bolster the retail export ecosystem in the region and support eBay seller growth as we roll out campaigns during the year,” said Vidmay.
In light of its success in previous years, eBay will continue its eBay NextGen Campaign, which is a program to help new Thai SMEs grow their businesses online. “eBay in Southeast Asia and Thailand is focused on enabling the entrepreneurial capabilities of our sellers by developing programs to help them maximize their export opportunities,” explained Vidmay.
The eBay NextGen Campaign offers a range of benefits for new SME sellers, including:
- Dedicated account managers to provide advice and support.
- Training sessions and tutorials to help sellers develop their online business acumen.
- Category insights to identify opportunities in the marketplace.
- Access to an ecosystem with localized, market-specific shipping/web/listing tools.
- Subsidies worth up to USD $1,500 per seller, which may be used to defer store subscription fees, promoted listing fees, shipping fees, and so on.
The eBay NextGen Campaign is open to Thai SMEs of all sizes in all industry sectors, regardless of whether they are a manufacturer, dealer, or retailer, and whether their existing sales channels are online or offline. Thai SMEs can join the campaign or get more details at: https://ebaythailand.co.th/ebaynextgen
