MSMEs And Homegrown Brands Leverage TikTok Shop For Optimal Growth
KUALA LUMPUR, May 16 (Bernama) -- Local micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and homegrown brands in Malaysia's retail sector have moved past debating the need for digitalisation, with many now actively integrating online and offline strategies to drive long-term growth.
From pasar malam vendors and roadside stalls to family-run shops and shopping mall retailers, the conversation has shifted from choosing between e-commerce or physical stores to strategically blending both, merging clicks with bricks to maximise reach and efficiency.
In a statement, TikTok Malaysia said this shift has been fuelled by growing public-private support for digital transformation and the country's robust internet infrastructure, which has lowered the barriers for businesses of all sizes to enter and thrive in the digital economy.
'Many MSMEs have successfully leveraged online content and commerce through TikTok Shop's full-funnel ecosystem to unlock new income streams, increase footfall to physical outlets and enhance customer engagement,' the statement read.
One such success story is Al-Cataly, a Shariah-compliant brand specialising in prayer-friendly apparel and Hajj and Umrah essentials.
Co-founded by Nik Nur Adzuan, the business had operated solely from a single physical store in Kota Damansara, Selangor, since its establishment in 2014, struggling to expand beyond that footprint.
'Running a purely offline business meant our growth was limited by our location. Expanding required substantial capital for deposits, renovations, inventory, staff and utilities,' said Nik, adding that demand for their products peaked during school holidays and pilgrimage seasons but dipped during off-peak periods.
'To build consistent revenue and reduce overhead, we went online through TikTok Shop,' she said, adding that the TikTok Shop LIVE Hub x TEKUN Nasional in Kuala Lumpur provided them access to training and studio-grade livestreaming equipment.
"Within just two months, we gained nearly 10,000 followers and saw a 12-fold increase in sales. Customers even travelled from across Malaysia and Singapore to visit our store,' she added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malaysian Reserve
6 hours ago
- Malaysian Reserve
Autel Energy Named EV Charging Hardware Provider for LAZ Parking and Epic Charging Partnership
Together, Autel and Epic Charging will deploy their combined offering to execute the EV Charging vision for LAZ Parking HARTFORD, Conn., June 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Following the recent announcement of a partnership between LAZ Parking and Epic Charging to deploy 50,000 Level 2 chargers, Autel Energy has been named a preferred EV charging hardware provider for the program. Together, Autel and Epic Charging will deploy their combined offering to execute the EV Charging vision for LAZ Parking, the largest, fastest-growing privately owned parking operator in North America. 'We're thrilled to be working alongside LAZ and Epic Charging to support one of the most ambitious EV infrastructure rollouts in the country,' said Michelle Luo, CRO at Autel Energy North America. 'Our chargers are designed to adapt to a wide variety of use cases—from commercial garages to mixed-use developments—and we're proud to help enable such a transformational and impactful effort.' 'At Epic Charging, we really value Autel's hardware for its quality, reliability, and outstanding support,' said Michael Bakunin, CEO of Epic Charging. 'That's why we're excited to work with Autel Energy on LAZ Parking's large-scale EV charging rollout, ensuring a smooth and efficient driver experience in North America. Our CSMS offers LAZ a full range of features—like remote monitoring, smart charging schedules, built-in payments, and real-time analytics—and is fully OCPP-compliant. Epic will integrate its system with LAZ's existing e-commerce, reporting, and customer service platforms, creating a seamless and cohesive charging experience.' 'The selection of Epic Charging and Autel Energy reinforces LAZ's commitment to deploying high-quality, scalable, and user-friendly charging solutions at LAZ-managed properties in the U.S. and Canada. This partnership will serve as the backbone of this growing network, delivering reliability and performance to meet the needs of both property owners and EV drivers,' said Alan Lazowski, Chairman and CEO of LAZ Parking. 'The partnership with Autel and Epic gives our clients ultimate flexibility on pricing for customers, tenants and residences and allows LAZ to seamlessly integrate the EV charging alongside the parking operations.' With EV adoption accelerating across the U.S., this partnership—now backed by Autel Energy's trusted technology and Epic Charging's state-of-the-art Charging Station Management System (CSMS) —aims to make charging more accessible, efficient, and scalable for urban centers and beyond. About Autel Energy Autel Energy is a global leader in the design, development and manufacturing of premium electric vehicle charging systems. The company features interoperability and manufacturing facilities in United States; the Autel Energy MaxiCharger family of chargers is trusted by hundreds of thousands of customers across all use cases, from residential Level 2 to high power industrial and fleet DC applications. About Epic Charging Epic Charging is a Silicon Valley-based B2B SaaS company on a mission to become the world's leading EV charging software provider by elevating customer experience, reliability, and scale. Its open protocol (OCPP) Charging Station Management System (CPMS) is designed for companies that want to grow a successful business in the EV charging industry. Epic Charging is the fastest-growing software platform and is already trusted by customers across the US, Canada, Mexico, and Spain. About LAZ Parking LAZ Parking is the largest, fastest-growing privately owned parking operator in the United States and a pioneer in digital parking technology. Founded in Hartford, CT, LAZ has been providing best-in-class parking management and transportation services since 1981 and operates over 1.7 million parking spaces in over 4,000 locations in 43 states and 536 cities in the U.S. and Canada. LAZ is an industry leader in business intelligence, remote monitoring, eCommerce solutions, and Proximity On-Demand Services or 'LAZ PODS'. LAZ leverages its international network of parking facilities to offer cutting-edge, tech-enabled solutions that include EV charging, micro warehousing, last-mile logistics, working across the hospitality, commercial, healthcare, airports, transportation, universities, government, retail, events, residential, and shuttle service industries. LAZ is a people-first, conscious capitalist company, committed to elevating humanity through business. Additional information can be found at
The Star
8 hours ago
- The Star
Chinese vice Foreign Minister to attend Asean SOM in Malaysia, eyes deep regional consensus
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong. -- Photo: CGTN BEIJING (Bernama): Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong will lead a delegation to attend a series of senior officials' meetings on East Asian cooperation from June 10 to 11 in Penang, Malaysia, aimed at building stronger consensus and enhancing cooperation. In a statement on Monday, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said China hopes the meetings will inject positive momentum into regional development. The meetings include the Asean Plus Three Senior Officials' Meeting, the East Asia Summit (EAS) Senior Officials' Meeting, and the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) Senior Officials' Meeting, hosted under Malaysia's Asean chairmanship with the theme 'Inclusivity and Sustainability'. Lin said participating countries were expected to exchange views on advancing cooperation under the respective mechanisms and deliberate on regional and global issues of mutual interest. "China looks forward to having in-depth communication at the SOM meetings to further build consensus, focus on cooperation, and inject more stability and positive energy into regional development,' he said. Lin added that the Penang meetings will prepare the ground for this year's leaders' meetings and foreign ministers' meetings on East Asian cooperation. Malaysia holds the Asean Chairmanship for 2025, with a focus on strengthening regional unity, sustainability and inclusive economic progress. - Bernama
The Sun
9 hours ago
- The Sun
Kenanga Investors Wins at Global Islamic LSEG Lipper Fund Awards 2025 for Shariah-Compliant Excellence
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Media OutReach Newswire - 9 June 2025 - Kenanga Investors Berhad ('Kenanga Investors') has received international recognition for the Kenanga SyariahEXTRA Fund ('KSEF') which was awarded under the Mixed Asset MYR Balanced 10 Years category at the Global Islamic LSEG Lipper Fund Awards 2025. The KSEF recently won the Best Mixed Asset MYR Balanced – Malaysia Islamic Funds Awards Over 10 Years title at the LSEG Lipper Fund Awards 2025. This recognition further affirms Kenanga Investors' standing as a leading global asset and wealth management firm. Datuk Wira Ismitz Matthew De Alwis, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer said, 'We are pleased that the Kenanga SyariahEXTRA Fund has received its second Lipper recognition in a year for its impressive performance. Shariah-compliant funds have seen increased interest, partly due to inclination toward defensive sectors like healthcare, telecommunications, and utilities, which tend to be more resilient during market downturns, making them attractive to both Muslim and non-Muslim investors seeking resilience amid market uncertainty. The Fund exemplifies our commitment to investing for good, blending Shariah principles with the benefits of impact investing. By focusing on sectors that align with both ethical values and long-term sustainability, we strive to deliver strong returns for our investors while contributing to meaningful, positive outcomes. As at 31st March 2025, the KSEF delivered returns of 46.30%* (5-years), 62.85%* (10-years), 220.02%* (since inception). Launched in 1996, KSEF aims to provide investors with medium to long-term capital appreciation through investments in specified asset classes by adopting a balanced approach towards equities and fixed income exposure based on Shariah principles. Lee Sook Yee, the Chief Investment Officer of Kenanga Investors explained, 'The KSEF's outperformance is mainly attributed to Shariah-compliant stock, sukuk selection and asset allocation. The team continued the strategy of identifying key sectors or groups of Shariah-compliant securities that we believe would perform well under an anticipated economic condition. Individual Shariah-compliant securities selection will then focus on well-managed, financially sound companies with attractive relative valuations and a potential for high earnings growth over the medium to long term time frame. We believe in staying consistent with our investment philosophy so that we may manage our portfolios effectively to capitalise on market opportunities, even with volatility'. The firm recently saw its innovative efforts within the Shariah investing landscape recognised at the Bursa Excellence Awards 2024 which awarded its exchange-traded funds' arm, Eq8 Capital Sdn Bhd with the Special Award – Thought Leadership for launching Eq8 FTSE Malaysia Enhanced Dividend Waqf ETF, the world's first Waqf-featured Exchange Traded Fund. The Waqf ETF aims to distribute income annually with half of the income distribution to be allocated as Waqf assets with the remaining half payable to unitholders. The Global Islamic LSEG Lipper Fund Awards celebrate funds and fund management firms that have delivered consistently strong risk-adjusted performance relative to peers. For more information about Kenanga Investors, please visit *Source: Lipper Investment Analytics, 31 March 2025. Hashtag: #Kenanga The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Kenanga Investors Berhad 199501024358 (353563-P) We provide investment solutions ranging from collective investment schemes, portfolio management services, alternative investments, as well as wills and trusts for retail, corporate, institutional, and high net worth clients via a multi-distribution network. The Morningstar Award 2025 has recognised the Kenanga Blue Chip Fund as Best Malaysia Large-Cap Equity Fund. The Bursa Excellence Awards 2024 awarded KIB's exchange-traded funds' arm, Eq8 Capital Sdn Bhd with the Special Award – Thought Leadership for launching Eq8WAQF, the world's first Waqf-featured Exchange Traded Fund. Introduced under a newly established category, the award highlights innovations that are reshaping the investment landscape. At the LSEG Lipper Fund Awards Malaysia 2025, KIB received awards for the Kenanga DividendEXTRA Fund ('KDEF') under the Best Equity Malaysia Diversified – Malaysia Funds over 3 years, Kenanga Malaysian Inc Fund ('KMIF') under the Best Equity Malaysia Diversified – Malaysia Provident Funds over 10 years, Kenanga Balanced Fund ('KBF') under the Best Mixed Asset MYR Balanced – Malaysia Provident Funds over 10 years, Kenanga Managed Growth Fund ('KMGF') under Best Mixed Asset MYR Flexible – Malaysia Provident Funds over 10 years, and Kenanga SyariahEXTRA Fund ('KSEF') under the Best Mixed Asset MYR Balanced – Malaysia Islamic Funds Awards over 10 years. The Hong Kong-based Asia Asset Management's 2025 Best of the Best Awards awarded KIG under the following categories, Malaysia Best Impact Investing Manager, Best Impact Investing Manager in ASEAN, Malaysia Best Equity Manager, Malaysia CEO of the Year (Co-Winner), Malaysia CIO of the Year, Malaysia Best House for Alternatives, Malaysia Best ESG Engagement Initiative, Malaysia Fund Launch of the Year, and Malaysia Best Retail Asset Management Company. The FSMOne Recommended Unit Trusts Awards 2024/2025 has awarded the Kenanga Growth Fund Series 2 with the 'Sector Equity – Malaysia Focused' award for the third consecutive year since 2022. We were also recognised at The BrandLaureate BestBrands Awards 2024 - Brand of the Year under the category Wealth Management & Investment Solutions. For the eighth consecutive year, KIB was affirmed an investment manager rating of IMR-2 by Malaysian Rating Corporation Berhad, since first rated in 2017. The IMR rating on KIB reflects the fund management company's well-established investment processes and sound risk management practices. This Press Release was issued by Kenanga Group's Marketing, Communications & Sustainability department.
