JAKARTA - When the e-commerce industry enters a more mature growth phase, major actors such as Shopee, TikTok Shop, Tokopedia, and Lazada no longer just compete to win the market share.
However, today's competition is reaching something no less essential: who is able to make a real contribution in creating sustainable growth space for MSMEs and local brands.
As the main subject, MSMEs and local brands play a crucial role in Indonesia's economic structure. According to data from the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (KADIN), MSMEs account for more than 61 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and absorption of around 97 percent of the national workforce.
In the digital era, their role is no longer limited to traditional sectors. Instead, they appear as key actors in encouraging economic transformation through the use of digital technology, especially through e-commerce platforms.
For MSME players and local brands, e-commerce opens up opportunities that were previously difficult to reach: expanding market reach, increasing operational efficiency, and opening access to global consumers. But in the midst of the increasingly complex e-commerce competition map, taking sides with MSME players and local brands are now the main differentiations. It's no longer just a matter of who is the biggest, but who has the most impact.
Based on the latest research by the 2025 E-Commerce Seller Satisfaction released by Ipsos Indonesia, a leading market research company, trying to answer that big question: which e-commerce platform is the most trusted, most impacted, and most effective in supporting MSMEs and local brands in Indonesia? This research finding provides a clearer picture of the current landscape of digital competitions, while highlighting a platform that has succeeded in building strong connections with Indonesian business actors.
Ipsos Indonesia Executive Director Andi Sukma said that the interesting thing at this time is how each platform starts competing not only to fight for transactions, but also to show its role in supporting MSMEs and local brands to grow.
That's where the most interesting side of IPSOS research this time: measuring the level of awareness of sellers, loyalty to the platform, as well as perceptions of the features and campaigns offered.
"Hopefully, the results of this research can provide a comprehensive picture of the landscape of e-commerce competitions in Indonesia, including performance and perception of major players such as Shopee, TikTok Shop, Tokopedia, and Lazada", Andi said in his statement, Friday, July 18.
Through research involving 350 MSME respondents and local brands throughout Indonesia using the Online Panel method, it was found that the majority of sellers (66 percent) called Shopee the first platform that occurred in their minds (Top of Mind). Meanwhile, as many as 70 percent of sellers make Shopee the main platform most often used to run their business (Brand Used Most Often).
However, the strength of a platform as a partner of choice for MSMEs and local brands is not only measured by how well or often used, but also from how much loyalty the user has. This was revealed in the results of Net Promoter Score (NPS).
As much as 77 percent of MSMEs and local brands are confident to recommend Shopee to other business actors, followed by Tiktok Shop 69 percent, while Tokopedia and Lazada at 67 percent.
Through the elements above, the preference of MSME players and local brands in choosing e-commerce platforms is influenced by a number of factors relevant to their business needs. The three main reasons most mentioned by respondents in this study are: expanding business range (71 percent), practical and flexible (66 percent) which allows sellers to operate from anywhere. As well as easy access and process factors in the marketplace (59 percent).
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When these reasons are converted into business practice, there are three most experienced impacts by MSMEs and local brands while selling in the marketplace: marketing products more broadly (69 percent), increasing the number of consumers (67 percent), and increasing profits (65 percent). These findings show that e-commerce is not only a digital solution, but also a significant motor driving business growth for MSMEs and local brands in Indonesia.
At Ipsos 2025 Research this time, it shows that in an increasingly complex era of digital competition, platforms that will survive and win are those that are able to become catalysts for sustainable growth for MSMEs and local brands.
In the end, continued Andi, those who win the hearts of business actors are those who are adaptive to change, loyal to guide, and become solutions when challenges come. Not only providing a selling space, but presenting a growth ecosystem.
"In this competition arena, Shopee is assessed by the majority of MSMEs and Local Brands as the platform that contributes and has the most real impact in creating sustainable growth space. Building capabilities, strengthening digital literacy, sustainable programs, to bridging business actors to a larger scale, including the global market." concluded Andi Sukma.
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