Social Commerce Trends in Malaysia

Everyday life in Malaysia continues to revolve around social media. Students, researchers, and professionals, families—nearly everyone spends time scrolling, discovering products, watching short videos, chatting, and sharing. Because of this, social commerce has become not just an optional channel but a central way for businesses to connect, sell, and support.

Social commerce is one of the most effective ways for businesses to interact with clients and sell their goods and services now that social media is so widely used by people all over the world. Malaysia remains a highly social and mobile-first market. As of January 2025 there were 25.1 million active social media user identities in Malaysia—equal to roughly 70.2% of the population—and the country continues to be dominated by smartphone-first access.

Social commerce market size in Malaysia

For marketers who are rethinking their Southeast Asia (SEA) strategy, Malaysia has a lot to offer. To begin with, the country has a sizable population of 32 million people, with over half of that number falling into the 18 to 54 age bracket.

According to the country's GDP per capita, it ranks third in Asia in terms of English language competency, with an income level of roughly RM340k GNI per capita. Malaysians are just as tech-savvy as the rest of the world.

Internet and social adoption is mainstream: Malaysia’s internet penetration and mobile adoption have continued to climb, and social media use is widespread. Meanwhile national digital investments and infrastructure improvements are accelerating digital commerce across sectors.

Social commerce is not just about buying and selling. From discovery and research phases to post-sale servicing, it encompasses the entire process.

It involves activities such as brands engaging in dialogue with their consumers via their social commerce tools.

Facebook Messenger CRM is an increasingly popular way to sell in Malaysia. Using Shops on Facebook, merchants can now set up eCommerce platforms where customers can shop from within Facebook and Instagram. There are a number of shops on Facebook where users may explore and purchase products.

A messaging button is included in every Facebook shop, allowing customers to contact vendors via Instagram, Facebook Messenger, or WhatsApp. As a result, Facebook encourages brands to Livestream, which enables users to get content directly from the broadcast.

TikTok, the new boom in short-form video

TikTok Shop and live commerce are now central to social commerce in Malaysia. Globally TikTok Shop’s GMV jumped dramatically between 2021–2024, and Malaysia figures as a meaningful regional contributor — recent estimates show Malaysia accounted for about US$2.7 billion in GMV for TikTok Shop in the first half of 2025. This shift means brands increasingly prioritise short-form video, in-platform checkout, and livestream events to capture buyer intent.

Social selling tools on TikTok integrate commerce directly into the social media experience. By utilizing the captivating appeal of TikTok's short-form videos, brands can produce interactive content that can then be seamlessly purchased within the app.

WhatsApp, the most used app to communicate

WhatsApp marketing, or w-marketing as it is more commonly called, has become a benchmark in the eCommerce industry. You can also utilize WhatsApp's modules for PrestaShop and plugins for WordPress for your online companies.

See how all the top brands in Malaysia are unleashing their WhatsApp commerce potential!

There is a vast middle class in Malaysia and they are all connected:

97.7% of Malaysians use the internet — about 34.9 million people are now online.
70.2% of Malaysians are active social media users — around 25.1 million user identities.

E-commerce penetration is high: in 2024, about 82% of Malaysian internet users had shopped online. The social commerce market alone is projected to reach US$1.36 billion in 2025.

Gen Z behavior and expectations

Gen Z is reshaping how people shop in Malaysia and Southeast Asia. Young consumers are not just passive shoppers — they see social media first for discovery, research, and inspiration. They care deeply about brand values, authenticity, and seamless digital experiences. In Malaysia, for example, Gen Z shoppers prioritize trust, high-quality product information, and low perceived risk when purchasing online.

Malaysian Gen Z consumers today exhibited a sophisticated approach to digital shopping, with 62.9% conducting thorough brand research before making purchases – a 5% increase from last year.

Short-form video selling

Short-form video (TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts) is no longer just a trend — it's one of the most powerful tools for discovery and conversion. In 2025 globally, TikTok boasts roughly 1.59 billion monthly active users, expanding its reach across markets.

Malaysian brands are increasingly using short-form video for product teases, unboxings, influencer challenges, and “shop now” hooks. For Gen Z especially, short videos with before/after formats or user-generated content are among the top drivers of purchase consideration.

Integrates your TikTok Instant Form with SleekFlow to maximize your lead generation strategy via instant messaging.

AI, AR, virtual try-ons & immersive experiences

Augmented Reality and AI-driven features are rising in importance, especially among younger consumers. Many expect AR try-ons in beauty and fashion; or visualisation of products (e.g. furniture) before they buy. Gen Z shoppers show high interest in immersive experience and digital tools that reduce uncertainty in purchase.

AI is also playing a bigger role behind the scenes — powering personalized recommendations, automated responses, chatbots that help guide buying decisions, and predictive analytics to help merchants stock better or target more precisely.

E-wallet payments and checkout

Payments are also now seamless inside social commerce. Malaysia’s e-wallet adoption surged in recent years. Industry surveys report e-wallet usage as high as 87% among Malaysians in 2024 — which makes in-chat payments and QR checkout essential for conversion. Integrating WhatsApp/Instagram shopping flows with local wallets (GrabPay, Touch ’n Go, Boost, DuitNow) shortens purchase paths and reduces cart abandonment.

Cultural festivities themed promotions

Cultural moments such as Ramadan/Hari Raya still drive spikes in discovery and purchase intent, but the channel mix has evolved: searches, video consumption and livestream sessions now concentrate around short-form videos and livestream shopping promotions, rather than only blog or static ad channels. The celebration of festivals may be a time for overindulgence.

Muslim women are empowered to do business

Muslim women generally hold key positions in industry and academics, and they lack neither confidence nor social skills, as can be seen when visiting shops, hotels, and market stalls. Husbands in Muslim families often defer to their wives when it comes to home matters.

The Malaysian government has a strong interest in empowering women. Through the Malaysia Budget 2025, RM470 million in financing funds from SME Bank, BSN, Bank Rakyat, and MARA to support women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Almost five-fifths of Malaysian women were involved in the market. One out of every ten Malaysian women runs her own company.

Exponential growth of Halal beauty

The halal beauty market is large and growing: recent market research estimates put the global halal cosmetics market at roughly US$47–53 billion in 2024–2025, with Asia-Pacific commanding the largest share—reinforcing Malaysia’s strategic position in halal beauty and personal care trade. Consumers in Malaysia are increasingly looking for halal-certified cosmetics and personal care goods.

For these things to make sense to customers, they do not have to be Muslims. Alcohol, blood, and animal parts or ingredients that have not been slaughtered in accordance with Islamic customs are prohibited in Halal cosmetics.

Halal beauty brands and mainstream names like Johnson & Johnson are reshaping the Southeast Asian beauty market. By 2025, the global halal cosmetics market is expected to reach roughly RM200 billion, and Malaysia is aiming to be the global centre for halal cosmetics.

Korean culture is increasingly gaining popularity

Early reaction in Malaysia was a bit negative because of how late in the game the Korean wave was as compared to other countries. In the following months, Malaysia began to adopt the Korean wave more quickly and fiercely.

Following the success of Korean dramas, films, and popular music in the country, other forms of Korean culture have also made their way here. K-pop, the prominent Korean music genre, has captivated Malaysians' curiosity because of its appearance in Korean dramas.

Universiti Malaysia Sabah students found that female respondents consistently had higher favourable sentiments toward Korean wave items than their male colleagues. It is interesting to note that race and religion did not seem to make an impact.

Online video and Korean beauty influencers in particular are popular with Malaysian women ages 18 to 34, according to a Google study.

In conclusion, social commerce has become a game-changer in Malaysia since social media, an important role in influencing the buying decision of consumers. Social commerce is still in its infancy in Malaysia and these social apps need to be fully explored and used to the fullest in order for Malaysia to fully benefit from social commerce.

But managing all these messaging tools - WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and so on can be time-consuming and inefficient. If you are looking for the solution to that, you are lucky because an all-in-one platform like SleekFlow is everything you need.

Social commerce will keep evolving, but businesses that prioritize speed, personalization, and compliance will be the ones that win. SleekFlow commits to helping Malaysian brands sell smarter, convert faster, and support customers better on social messaging platforms .

Manage all your customer interactions on an AI omnichannel messaging platform, to scale your social commerce operations without sacrificing the personal touch. You can create and deploy your AI agents with AgentFlow to engage with your customers for 24/7 lead qualification and conversion.

In 2025, success in social commerce isn’t just about being online—it’s about being smarter, faster, and always available. AgentFlow helps Malaysian businesses harness AI to scale conversations, drive conversions, and build lasting customer trust.