Used car trading platform Carsome MY zips into eCommerce space with Shopee tie-up

Southeast Asian online used car trading platform Carsome has entered the eCommerce space through its partnership with Shopee in Malaysia. Consumers are now able to purchase an exclusive premium selection of used cars on the Carsome official store on Shopee.

Carsome's co-founder and group CEO Eric Cheng (pictured below) told A+M that the partnership creates real opportunities for Carsome and its customers to leverage eCommerce. This comes as more Malaysians turn towards online platforms to shop and this behaviour is accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Citing statistics from JP Morgan, Cheng said Malaysia's eCommerce market is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 24% until 2021. As such, it is timely for the company to bring the used car buying experience to eCommerce.

As its B2C segment is still new, Cheng said the company hopes to leverage the Shopee platform to reach more customers and increase brand awareness. Cheng did not comment on A+M's query on the monetary value of the partnership.

"Shopee is Malaysia’s largest eCommerce platform and they are very supportive of our effort in reshaping and elevating the used car buying experience through digitalisation. We are delighted to be the first brand in Malaysia to sell used cars through Shopee," he said.

According to him, its target audience for the Shopee store are individuals who are Internet and mobile-savvy, young working adults who are looking to stretch their dollars, and budget-conscious car purchasers. To raise awareness about its new Shopee store, Carsome is running a promotion where Shopee users can purchase an RM500 cash voucher at the price of RM199 and use it to pay for the down payment of their selected cars.

"Carsome’s key objective has always been to digitalise the used car industry as much as possible to elevate the consumer experience. With “The New Way of Buying Cars” and the extension into the online shopping domain, we are focused on integrating Malaysians’ online and offline shopping experiences - growing our business as well as being able to cater to a large segment of consumers on Shopee," he said.

Shopee's regional MD Ian Ho said the partnership enables the company to offer Malaysians a wide selection of quality used cars. "The launch of Carsome’s store on Shopee is also just in time for our upcoming 10.10 Shopee Brands Festival. Carsome will gain exposure from the increased customer traffic to the platform and by leveraging it, bring about the awareness that users can now experience a new way of shopping for quality used cars," he said.

Carsome is not the only company in the automotive scene to have partnered with eCommerce platforms as part of their online strategy. Brands such as BMW, Renault and Volkswagen have also jumped on the opportunity to offer consumers more convenience.

Last year, BMW Asia inked launched its new BMW 1 Series on Lazada as part of an exclusive partnership, becoming the first automotive brand on LazMall in Singapore. The partnership is a long-term one, and the company will continue to explore relevant collaborations to better engage with a wider audience. 

Earlier this year, Renault Malaysia introduced the "Buy a Renault" and a "Subscribe" feature on its official website. The "Buy a Renault" feature allows consumers to purchase a vehicle online, while the "Subscribe" feature enables them to apply for a vehicle subscription digitally. Meanwhile, Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia also rolled out its e-platform Volkswagen Marketplace two years ago, enabling consumers to reserve cars and enjoy exclusive online offers.

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