Going online selling has helped TeenagersConcepts to stay afloat during the COVID-19 crisis.
(Source: Berita DIMENSi / Izzati Zaini)

BATANG KALI – The COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed Malaysian e-commerce. According to a news report by The Malaysian Reserve, online trading activity has increased by 28.9% within a month after the Movement Control Order (MCO) was enforced on March 18 last year.

Since the first phase of MCO, most businesses have been taking a beating which has made them jump onto the new norm, that is, online selling because most Malaysians have adapted one step ahead as people shift their shopping towards online platforms.

Based on a survey taken from Statista, 62% of respondents revealed the main reason for the increasing online purchases during the pandemic was because their family members were practicing social distancing and wanted to minimize their time spent outside.

Nurul Izzati Zaini, 23, a Universiti Teknologi MARA Shah Alam (UiTM) student who lives in Batang Kali, a town in Hulu Selangor, believed that MCO is a second chance for online sellers to showcase their brands especially her brand which is TeenagersConcepts since the Malaysian e-commerce sector is on the rise after the MCO was enforced.

She also said the growing demand for hijab in her area during MCO has created a big opportunity for TeenagersConcepts to stay afloat during the pandemic crisis where all she could do was move it online to reach a bigger audience.

Batang Kali is a town in Hulu Selangor district, which is also a transit point to Genting Highland and it is understandable if a strategic town like Batang Kali was developed in a short amount of time.

Izzati also expressed her excitement when her hometown was rapidly developing in terms of courier services which benefited her the most as an online seller and also as an online buyer.

“I could see the differences of Batang Kali’s development especially in terms of various delivery options which has made it easier for me to choose what type of courier services that I want to use such as Ninja Van, Shopee Express, J&T Express, Pos Laju, and many more,” she added.

Izzati’s total sales on Shopee before MCO.
(Source: Berita DIMENSi / Izzati Zaini)

She used to consider taking a break from continuing her online business due to the loss she once experienced when opening a booth before MCO, but it changed her perspective when the progress of the sales on Shopee started to change after MCO was enforced.

“One of the main reasons the non-groceries purchases are increasing is because everything can be purchased with just a click. It also consists of the most convenient aspect on the internet, which is less time-consuming,” says Izzati when contacted by Berita DIMENSi via Microsoft Teams.

One of Izzati’s monthly total sales during MCO.
(Source: Berita DIMENSi / Izzati Zaini)

She said she did not know there are so many potential online sellers from Batang Kali until she met a few of them at the nearest uptown, thus, having various courier services being developed in the short amount of time is truly a vital point that helps both courier services and its consumers.

New norms are evolving across all parts of the world and due to the pandemic, leveraging technology in business is the driving process. Thus, with the rise of e-commerce, going online should be made one of the new ways to survive.

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