As Lazada celebrated its 14th birthday at the end of March 2026, its Birthday Sale across Southeast Asia highlighted a shift in online shopping behavior. Shoppers are now favoring trusted stores and authentic products over mere price. In Malaysia, this trend was evident as consumers preferred official brand stores and adopted a more confident approach to online buying.
During the campaign period, Lazada experienced significant growth, with overall platform GMV increasing by over 3.5 times compared to the non-campaign period. Malaysia excelled with a GMV increase of more than 5.5 times. LazMall particularly stood out, achieving a sixfold increase in regional GMV, and over 12 times growth in Malaysia alone. LazMall accounted for 60% of total GMV and 41% of orders during the event regionally, highlighting the importance of trust and authenticity in consumer choices. Additionally, the demand for international products surged, with TMALL and Gmarket recording a 2.5 times increase in orders and a 3.5 times increase in GMV across several markets, excluding Indonesia. This trend indicates shoppers’ openness to international stores that offer trusted and authentic experiences.
Malaysians shop with more intent and confidence
The same trend was even clearer among LazMall’s best sellers. Overall, the top 100 sellers on LazMall saw their sales grow by 8 times during the campaign. In Malaysia, these top sellers experienced a sales increase of more than 24 times compared to normal times, showing strong interest in well-known brands and sellers that shoppers trust.
In Malaysia, customers were shopping with clear intent and confidence during the campaign. There was strong growth in both lifestyle and everyday items. The Home Appliances category led with a growth of 30 times compared to regular times, followed by Mobiles and Tablets at 28 times, Sports Shoes and Apparel at 24 times, and Groceries at 21 times. The Beauty category also saw a significant rise at 15 times.
Overall, this trend shows that Malaysians were not only making planned purchases in more expensive categories, but also looking for essential household items, health products, and personal care goods. This indicates a more confident and thoughtful shopping approach, where consumers are using the platform for both important purchases and everyday needs.
AI helps shoppers decide faster
Lazada’s continued investment in artificial intelligence and user experience also helped make the shopping journey quicker and more intuitive, led by Lazzie, the platform’s AI shopping assistant.
During the Lazada Birthday campaign:
- SmartStack, an interactive feature within Lazzie, drew about 2.5 million daily users regionally, with overall daily traffic rising 38%. Shoppers used the feature for personalised product recommendations and to unlock LazRewards and brand exclusive vouchers through simple chat interactions.
- The number of users actively engaging with Lazzie through the action bar or manual text input grew fourfold, while the average number of exchanges per user doubled, pointing to deeper and more meaningful interaction.
- Nearly 100,000 users across the region completed purchases after interacting with Lazzie, contributing nearly US$3 million in AI guided GMV during the campaign.
- On product detail pages, about 10,000 users across the region used AI driven tools such as add on suggestions and price comparisons, helping improve conversion rates and lift AI guided purchase value by 3%.
“We have said this before, and we will keep saying it, Malaysians are becoming more intentional in the way they shop online. Value still matters, but so does trust. People want to know they are buying from the right place, getting authentic products, and making decisions with confidence. That is why we are seeing stronger demand for official brand stores, and greater use of tools that help shoppers compare, choose and buy more easily,” said Kaya Qin, Chief Executive Officer at Lazada Malaysia
This year’s Birthday Sale indicates a significant shift in eCommerce in Southeast Asia, particularly in Malaysia. As shoppers prioritize trust and authenticity, these factors increasingly influence their purchasing decisions. Lazada recognizes this trend as a signal for market direction and aims to maintain momentum by investing in LazMall, enhancing AI-driven shopping tools, and providing a seamless, trustworthy shopping experience for Malaysians.