Matrade, Amazon work to empower SMEs with ecommerce opportunities

IN a bid to further support small and medium enterprises who are retailers, the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) is collaborating with Amazon Global Selling, which is a part of ecommece giant Amazon Inc.

In a statement, Matrade said this initiative is a joint promotion of Matrade's eTRADE Programme 2.0, aimed at assisting new companies embarking on cross-border e-commerce.

It also seeks to educate SMEs on how they can use the tools and resources offered through e-Trade 2.0 to begin their journey selling globally through Amazon.

As part of this collaboration, the two organisations hosted an inaugural webinar on how Malaysian sellers sell to consumers in the United States and Singapore.

With an attendance of over 600 participants, Amazon and Matrade plans to roll out two more sessions in June and August. Sellers can register for the session on June 25 here.

“Our collaboration with Amazon Global Selling will encourage SMEs to leverage Amazon’s global presence and showcase their products and services to customers across the world,” said Mohd Mustafa Abdul Aziz, chief executive officer (CEO) of Matrade.

“This programme ensures SMEs remain resilient during this challenging times as export revenue generated will benefit the beneficiaries across the export supply chain.”

“Amazon hopes to support Malaysian sellers to start exporting or increasing their current export business, assisting them in growing their presence in cross-border e-commerce,” said Bernard Tay, head of Amazon Global Selling in Southeast Asia.

“We are committed to making exports and cross-border e-commerce easier for Malaysian businesses to empower them to tap into their full potential.”

Support through eTRADE

The eTRADE Programme 2.0 is an enhancement of the eTRADE Programme under the 11the Malaysia Plan (2016-2020) aimed at accelerating exports via sustained participation in cross-border e-commerce channels.

This enhanced programme will provide support to SMEs that are already doing e-commerce, such as through digital marketing and e-commerce-related trainings that can help them to grow to the next level, Matrade said.

Globally, Matrade said more than 1.9 million SMEs sell on Amazon’s online stores, making up close to 60% of Amazon’s retail sales.  

Through Amazon Global Selling, companies interested in selling cross-border on Amazon.sg and Amazon.com can tap into Amazon’s expertise through its suite of seller resources and consultations to hone their e-commerce capabilities and capture new business opportunities.

Herbal Revival Sdn Bhd, one of the leading herbal and nutritional supplement manufacturers in Malaysia under its Thomson brand, was one of the companies that benefited from the eTRADE Programme 1.0. Back in 2020. The company used the facilitation programme to engage Malaysia-based e-commerce enabler, Axis Group, and helped them manage their global business on Amazon.

Using logistics and customer service resources such as Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA), Matrade claimed the company was able to acquire new international customers and grow their business in the United States. Building on their encouraging cross-border experience, it plans to expand to the Amazon Singapore store next.

Learn more about the programme here. For more information about selling on Amazon,visit the Facebook page.