Closing out the past year of 2023, there were many festivities felt by the community. In addition to the lively Christmas and New Year celebrations, the presence of shopping parties added to the enjoyable atmosphere. If you pay attention, there is a trendy shopping trend that is favored. Yes, what else if not live streaming! Shopping through live streaming has become an exciting experience, thus increasing shopping activities. This trend is also utilized by local brands and SMEs in selling through e-commerce. E-commerce players like Shopee, TikTok, Tokopedia, and Lazada are racing to take on important roles in shaping this trend.

Strong support, especially for local brands and SMEs in the era of live streaming, becomes the main pillar for e-commerce players in driving a sustainable business ecosystem. In addition to the changes in people's shopping habits offered by the advancement of innovative features, the presence of new players and adaptation to the complexity of issues and new regulations also color the dynamics of the e-commerce competition map in Indonesia. So, to what extent is its impact on the dominance of other e-commerce players, especially by the end of 2023? Who will be the champion of live streaming competition in Indonesia?

He continued, "The dynamic competition and the issues regarding regulatory restrictions and the collaboration between two major players towards the end of 2023 have become interesting aspects for IPSOS in our research this time. We also observed how the presence of Shopee Live has dominated the live streaming market, especially for sellers who are mostly local brands and micro, small, and medium enterprises (UMKM). However, what are the attractions for sellers and other factors that serve as the basis for choosing a live streaming platform for selling? Certainly, we also revealed the excitement of fierce competition among e-commerce platforms in this research."

From Ipsos data, this live streaming sales platform has successfully provided an increase in turnover (73%), market reach expansion (68%), cost savings in promotion (64%), ease of interacting with customers online in real-time (60%), trusted by customers (59%), safer in transactions (49%), and feeling more superior in competition (37%). So, what are the aspects that sellers are looking for and influencing their preferences in choosing live streaming features on e-commerce platforms, and here is the distribution of their preferences:

One of the main advantages of live streaming is its ability to provide direct interaction between sellers and consumers. Through live streaming, local brands and SMEs can communicate in real-time, answer questions, and provide direct information to consumers. This engagement creates a shopping experience that is not only more personal but also leaves an unforgettable impression.

In terms of interactive services, IPSOS presents Shopee Live with 59%, demonstrating its significant advantage compared to TikTok Live (26%), Lazada Live (8%), and Tokopedia Play (7%) for local brands and MSMEs. Its contribution to the growth of local brands and MSMEs is unquestionable, with 62% of respondents acknowledging that Shopee Live is their preferred live streaming feature that helps them grow. This is followed by TikTok Live (26%), Tokopedia Play (7%), and Lazada Live (6%).

Through this survey, it was revealed that the majority of local brands and SMEs from the Fashion category (56%), Beauty, Care, & Health (39%), and Daily Products or FMCG (32%), as well as Lifestyle needs (17%), are the categories of sellers that utilize the live streaming feature of marketplace platforms the most. If we analyze the data above further, Fashion and Beauty categories, as the two main categories that are always in demand by the public. The development of these two categories also reveals how digital transformation has provided a new selling style through the popularity of live streaming on e-commerce platforms.

Andi Sukma closed, "Seeing the rapid growth and high enthusiasm of sellers, especially local brands and MSMEs, towards Shopee Live, the live streaming feature is apparently becoming an increasingly important part of the online shopping landscape in Indonesia. However, there is still great potential that Shopee can develop and offer in the future through various innovations and programs in embracing live streaming as the future of the e-commerce industry."

In the second half of 2023, we also witnessed the increasing innovation through interactive online selling and shopping experiences, with live streaming becoming the main attraction. Amidst the fierce competition among e-commerce players in providing live streaming services, it can be concluded that Shopee, through its Shopee Live feature, has proven its position as the preferred live shopping platform for sellers, especially in supporting local brands and SMEs.