INDONESIA: YouTube and Shopee will launch an online shopping service in Indonesia and, later, expand it in South-east Asia in order to keep up with competitors like TikTok.
With the new partnership, shoppers can buy goods viewed on YouTube through links to Shopee. Shopee is owned by Sea Ltd, a South-east Asian technology corporation.
#YouTube and #Shopee Announces E-Commerce Partnership in #SoutheastAsiahttps://t.co/UUpSLhbv64 pic.twitter.com/CUquF2CBvH
— Lowyat.NET (@LowyatNET) September 19, 2024
According to Reuters, YouTube executives told journalists that they plan to extend the service to Thailand and Vietnam in a couple of weeks. Currently, YouTube shopping is available in South Korea and the United States.
YouTube Asia-Pacific director Ajay Vidyasagar said in Jakarta that it was Indonesia’s energy and “velocity” around online shopping that resulted in the launch.
This move would also help YouTube’s shopping segment and Shopee to compete with TikTok, which has recently taken control of Indonesia’s biggest e-commerce platform, Tokopedia.
Vidyasagar did not disclose partnership figures but said it was a significant amount. He added that YouTube Shopping would be opened to partners other than Shopee in “a phased sequenced manner”.
Last year, Reuters reported that YouTube was planning to apply for a licence to operate e-commerce services in Indonesia.
Shopee and YouTube Shopping rival, TikTok Shop, accounted for $16.3 billion in gross merchandise value in South-east Asia in 2023. That was a fourfold jump from 2022. That made TikTok Shop the second largest e-commerce platform after Shopee in the region.
YouTube Shopping
YouTube Shopping works by including a link to the relevant store in the description of the video. When a viewer selects the link, they can preview the items in the store while the video plays. The shopper can then choose an item and go to the store to purchase it online.
YouTube Shopping started in 2022 and is similar to Instagram Shop, Facebook Shop and TikTok Shop.