What Is the Best Product to Sell Online? A Beginner's How to start Selling on Shopee and Guide to Avoid Mistake as Shopee Seller

Author: Kyzson

Before we talk about 2025, let's first look back at 2024 and see how it connects to what happened in 2025. Why?

Because 2024 was the year I became obsessed with online shopping. I bought all kinds of things, some useful, some just pure useless. It got to the point where my wife was scolding me almost every month for all the packages showing up at our door.

What is the Top Tier Selling SKU in Shopee?

Most Malaysian sellers guess. They copy what looks popular. But the numbers tell a very different story. The #1 category is not what you think.

Sources: Malaysia ecommerce GMV = US$8.95B in 2024 / 📚 Momentum Works / Statista, Oct 2024

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Phone cases and There are 340,000 other listings.

Electronics and fashion are the first choice for new sellers. Both are flooded. Margins shrink. Ads cost more. Most sellers quit within their first year.

Sources:
Shopee is the #1 ecommerce platform in Malaysia- dominant market leader

• Ipsos Malaysia, E-Commerce Landscape 2025, Nov 2025

7 in 10 Malaysians shopped on Shopee in the past 6 months

• Ipsos Malaysia via Malay Mail, Nov 2025

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Top Category, Top buyer Behavior, and Strategy.

Three data-backed insights. Each verified. No bluff. If you are an aspiring Shopee seller in Malaysia, take your time read below's Guide, it might help you.

E-commerce and ICT contributed RM451.3B (23.4% of GDP) in Malaysia in 2024
📚 Ipsos Malaysia, E-Commerce Landscape 2025, Nov 2025

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e-Commerce market hit Sky High!

That is RM41B in one year. Online shopping in Malaysia grew 19.5% year-on-year in 2024 -1 of the fastest rates in Southeast Asia.

Sources:
Malaysia ecommerce GMV = US$8.95B in 2024

• Momentum Works, via Statista & Accio, 2024

Malaysia ecommerce grew 19.5% YoY in 2024 — among SEA fastest-growing markets

• Momentum Works / Demeter ICT, 2024

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The #1 Shopee Malaysia category is not electronics. It is your kitchen.

Home & Living holds 20% of Shopee Malaysia's total GMV as of Q1 2024. That beats beauty, fashion, and electronics. Most sellers never target it.

SOURCES
Home & Living = 20% of Shopee Malaysia GMV (Q1 2024)

• Momentum Works Pte., Statista, Oct 2024

Home & Living confirmed as #1 GMV category Q1 2025

• Statista / Accio, Q1 2025

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Power of the Beauty & skincare

Serums, sunscreen, and collagen sell every month, not just during sales events. Repeat buyers mean stable income. That is the real advantage over gadgets.

SOURCES
Beauty & Personal Care = 16% GMV share on Shopee Malaysia, Q1 2024

• Momentum Works Pte., Statista, Oct 2024

Fashion and home care are the primary growth drivers of Malaysia ecommerce in 2025

• Ipsos Malaysia, E-Commerce Landscape 2025, Nov 2025

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4 in 5 Malaysians discover products through Shopee Live video.

That is 80% of buyers using live video before buying. Not Instagram. Not Google. Shopee Live. Sellers who go live sell faster and convert more buyers.

SOURCES
4 in 5 Malaysians use Shopee Live and Shopee Video to discover products before purchasing

• Shopee Malaysia Raya 2025 Buyer Trends Study, n=1,500 respondents, Feb–Mar 2025​

Malaysians watched 34M+ hours of Shopee Live in 2023; affiliates grew 420% YoY

• Shopee Malaysia official press release, Malay Mail, Dec 2023

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7/10 Malaysians shopped on Shopee every month. Shopee is not a platform you join. It is a country you enter and it is full of buyers waiting."

​Nearly two-thirds of all Malaysians now buy online. Even shoppers aged 45+ grew 13% in the past year. Your customer base is bigger than you realize.

SOURCES
Ecommerce shoppers in Malaysia grew 16% in 2025; nearly 2/3 of Malaysians now buy online

• Ipsos Malaysia, E-Commerce Landscape 2025, Nov 2025 — via Malay Mail

Shoppers aged 45+ showed 13% growth in past year

• Ipsos Malaysia, E-Commerce Landscape 2025, Nov 2025

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Sell what the buyer already buy every month, but make sure you passionate and build to do that category

Pick Home & Living or Beauty for example. List on Shopee. Go live at least once a week. Respond fast. Keep your capital or accounting properly mage. Focus on repeat buyers, not one-time sales.

SOURCES
61% of Malaysian online shoppers purchase at least once per week

• PCMI / Commission Factory, 2024

58% of Shopee Malaysia buyers now prioritize product quality and seller credibility over price

• Shopee Malaysia Consumer Survey, Malay Mail, May 2025

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My Final Take & 2Cents

The market is real. The data is damn real. The only missing piece is you. Malaysia's ecommerce market does not need you to be perfect. It needs you to be present, consistent, and willing to learn faster than you fail. You have the data. You have the platform. You have the buyers. How you going to start? My advise is, sell what you constant use, love and observe other people react to it, it there red flag, drop it and move to other product.

​Which category are you selling in right now? Comment below: Home & Living, Beauty, or something else.