THE collaboration between Penang Halal International (PHI) and Shopee Malaysia to launch the Penang E-Mall last year, to support micro-businesses as well as small and medium enterprises (SMEs) affected by the movement control order (MCO), had resulted in a whopping RM583 million sale in just six months.
Spearheaded by PHI and supported by the Penang government, the campaign started on June 15 and ended on Dec 31 last year.
State Entrepreneurial Development, Trade and Industry Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Halim Hussain said PHI, an agency under the Penang government, had started this initiative to support the related entrepreneurs that were adversely affected by the pandemic.
“In the course of six months, the campaign aided more than 15,000 sellers across the state.
“Out of these sellers, 10,000 are new to e-commerce, with more than 700 of them being halal sellers,” he said during the online press conference via zoom today.
He also said the amount generated was based on collective efforts by business owners who featured a variety of products including food, fashion, home appliances and many more.
“This would not have been possible without the support of the people, so the Penang government and PHI would like to thank everyone for equally showing tremendous support,” he added.
Abdul Halim also said the RM500,000 which was invested by the Penang government and directed to the participating sellers in the form of vouchers, generated some RM6 million in sales, marking a commendable 12-fold return on investment for the state.
PHI chief executive officer Aida Lim Abdullah said she was pleased that Penang E-Mall concluded on a high note, including many halal businesses that gained recognition and support that they deserve from Malaysians.
“There is so much potential within the Penang sellers, and this campaign has provided an accessible platform for them to succeed in this digital era and embrace halal lifestyle for all,” she added.
Also present during the online session was Shopee Malaysia senior manager (marketing) Tan Ming Kit.
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix courtesy of Penang Halal International