The online shopping revolution in Asia is driven by these forward-thinking e-commerce leaders

“Knowing that underutilised and even new stuff can go on to benefit someone else and create possibility for others, we want to inspire more people to sell and buy secondhand,” said Quek Siu Rui to Tatler. With a mission to bring new life to secondhand items, the entrepreneur co-founded Carousell, the classifieds and recommerce company that makes selling products, including laptops, kitchen appliances, K-pop collectables and cars, as easy as taking a photo and listing on the platform. In April 2024, Carousell rolled out new features in Singapore to make shopping even more seamless, introducing a one-click buy button that adds multiple listings from the same seller to the cart and an official delivery option, in partnership with Ninja Van, to provide more courier options. 

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As CEO of Lazada Philippines, one of the largest e-commerce platforms in the country, Carlos Otermin Barrera innovates the online retail experience, making it easier, more reliable and accessible for all. Apart from offering a variety of goods, services and payment methods, Lazada ensures people are satisfied with their purchases with last-mile delivery operations and robust customer support. In recent months, the company has rolled out programmes for the community, partnering with the Department of Trade Industry to empower MSMEs and the creative industry and the Professional Models Association of the Philippines to support content creators and local brands. Lazada Philippines has also appointed celebrity Pia Wurtzbach as its first ambassador. 

Read Carlos Otermin Barrera’s full profile on Asia’s Most Influential

Forrest Li co-founded Sea Limited, the tech giant that operates e-commerce platform Shopee, along with online gaming platform Garena and digital financial services firm SeaMoney. In March 2024, the CEO shared that Sea Limited achieved its “first full year of annual profit since our IPO”, adding that its cash position increased to US$8.5 billion at the end of 2023. For Shopee, in particular, he said, “Despite an environment of intensified competition in Southeast Asia, we believe Shopee had a meaningful gain in market share between the start and the end of 2023. We are happy to have solidified Shopee’s market share in the region, and we intend to maintain our market share in 2024.” Beyond leading e-commerce in the region, Shopee supports local communities, establishing, for example, Shopee University to provide free digital literacy resources in Malaysia. The programme, designed for local entrepreneurs, boasts more than 120,000 attendees in daily classes. 

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Steven Ho leads 91APP, the omnichannel commerce company that combines offline and online retail solutions for the ultimate customer experience. The Taiwanese tech firm, which boasts more than 10,000 clients including The North Face, Timberland and Make Up For Ever, builds shopping apps for brands and offers management, payment and marketing tools, ensuring their success. In short, it helps clients start their e-commerce journey and achieve profitability through digital transformation. This business model proved profitable for 9APP, the first SaaS company listed on the TPEx in Taiwan. In March 2024, the company reported a first-quarter revenue of NT$372 million, marking a growth of over 15 per cent.

Read Steven Ho’s full profile on Asia’s Most Influential

With the goal of becoming a complete commerce ecosystem for both consumers and brands, Blibli.com fulfils the shopping needs of Indonesians and helps small business owners break into a larger retail market. The e-commerce firm follows an integrated offline-online approach, with more than 200 physical stores that complement its digital operations. In April 2024, the company reported that its net revenues recorded a two-per cent year-on-year growth in the first quarter. In a statement, the CEO doubled down on the Blibli’s objective since its 2022 IPO of “solidifying our position as the commerce ecosystem of choice for consumers and institutions”. Looking ahead, Blibli is finishing its new Marunda warehouse, which is projected to start operating in late 2024. 

Read Kusumo Martanto’s full profile on Asia’s Most Influential

Tatler Asia’s Most Influential is the definitive list of people shaping our world today. Asia’s Most Influential brings together the region's most innovative changemakers, industry titans and thought leaders who are driving positive impact in Asia and beyond. View the full list here.

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