Logistics firm to host accelerator program for live sellers

TECH-ENABLED express logistics company Ninja Van Philippines is eyeing to conduct a live seller accelerator program to support more entrepreneurs to grow their e-commerce businesses.

In a statement, the company said the accelerator program is designed to equip both new and would-be live sellers with the necessary skills and seed money to bridge their business to live selling platforms.

According to a study dubbed “Live Selling in Southeast Asia,” which surveyed over 1,000 of Ninja Van’s e-commerce sellers across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, nearly one in three surveyed sellers have tried live selling. Nine in 10 prefer to do it themselves, and only one in 10 tap influencers to do live selling for them.

Prolific

Filipino sellers are among the most prolific live sellers with 47 percent doing it daily — against a 31 percent regional average.

More Filipinos than their regional counterparts also believe that live selling brings in new business, with 74 percent saying that attracting new customers is a top driver for conducting live selling.

A secondary driver would be to increase profit, with 52 percent of Filipino sellers saying live selling is more profitable than just posting items on marketplaces and apps.

“Live selling is an interesting marketing tactic for e-commerce sellers,” said Winston Seow, chief marketing and enablement officer of Ninja Van Group. “It’s the only tactic that can fast-track shoppers’ purchase journeys from awareness straight to conversion. Live selling also gives e-commerce sellers the ability to build relationships at scale with their shoppers, both new and existing.”

Filipino sellers can spend up to 14 hours weekly conducting live selling sessions, versus a regional average of up to six hours. Most of the early adopters of live selling are from low-involvement product categories such as fashion, beauty and personal care, food and beverages, as well as home and living.

While Shopee (27 percent), Facebook (25.5 percent), and TikTok (22.5 percent) are ranked as the top three live-selling channels, the close margins signal that the champion has yet to emerge in Southeast Asia. This could be explained by the fact that on average, the surveyed e-commerce sellers use two channels for live selling, presumably to maximize their outreach to live shoppers, the study said.

Sellers also use live selling as a means to build deeper connections with consumers.

“Live selling allows us to easily and directly engage with our audience who have become regular viewers of our live sessions. We’ve also seen lower product return rates since we have started live selling,” said Nikka Arasa of Suniega Stainless Products Tradings, a stainless product manufacturer based in Nagcarlan, Laguna.

The study also explored the challenges of live selling, such as keeping live shoppers engaged, preparing on-set logistical requirements, as well as sales and post-sales arrangements.

Ninja Van said the results of the study affirmed the ever-changing landscape in business and the need for this new breed of entrepreneurs of hassle-free delivery solutions to support their growing live-selling businesses.

The company said it wants to nurture an ecosystem that provides value-added services and tools to ensure a seamless experience for shippers and shoppers alike.

Ninja Van is present in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand. The company entered the Philippine market in 2016.