MSMEs hit $270 billion sales on e-commerce platform

CEBU, Philippines — Shopee marked its 10th anniversary with a milestone that highlights its growing dominance in Southeast Asia’s digital economy: micro, small and medium enterprises on the platform have amassed more than US$270 billion in sales since 2015.

The figure, detailed in Shopee’s first impact report, revealed how the Singapore-based platform has become one of the region’s most powerful engines for MSME expansion—particularly in the Philippines, where small online sellers have multiplied at breakneck speed.

In its report, Shopee said MSME participation on the platform has doubled every year on average, with about 80 percent of these sellers operating outside capital cities.

In the Philippines, growth has been even sharper. Local MSMEs saw a 5× increase in annual items sold, while participation in Visayas and Mindanao surged 30×, reflecting how online retail is enabling entrepreneurs outside Luzon to scale nationally.

“Digital commerce has opened new opportunities for people and businesses everywhere,” Chief Operating Officer Terence Pang said. “We are deeply grateful to our community of MSME sellers who first kickstarted their online journey 10 years ago on our platform.”

Shopee’s expansion has been accompanied by a push to build seller capabilities and widen digital inclusion.

More than 7.6 million MSMEs across the region have joined Shopee University training programs, accessing over 1,500 online modules and workshops in more than 300 cities.

Livestream Selling Supercharges Filipino MSMEs

As online consumption habits evolved, Shopee adapted its ecosystem to help MSMEs capture newer forms of demand. Shopee Live orders for small sellers grew more than 300 percent  annually across the region, while in the Philippines, live orders have quadrupled each year for MSMEs.

The country’s creator economy is also booming on the platform, with Shopee’s local creator network expanding fourfold annually, helping small sellers reach new audiences and boost conversions.

Shopee’s Affiliate Marketing Solutions now contributes to 30 percent of order increases for participating MSMEs.

Filipino Sellers Push Beyond Borders

Cross-border expansion is emerging as another major growth driver. More than 2.1 million MSMEs across the region have joined the Shopee Export Program, while over 400,000 Filipino sellers are now part of the Shopee International Platform, giving them direct access to buyers in Singapore and Malaysia.

Rising demand for Philippine-made products—from beauty and wellness items to handcrafted goods—is helping local entrepreneurs tap regional markets at scale.

Shopee said users from over 400 cities now shop regularly on the platform, with buyers living outside capital cities purchasing over 140 billion items to date. The company also reports that 97 percent of its employees are local talent, and more than 23 million creators and affiliates across the region are earning income through the Shopee Affiliate Program—where earnings have grown over 90 percent annually.

In the Philippines, over 90 percent of Shopee’s workforce are Filipinos, reinforcing its role in the nation’s fast-growing digital economy.