Shopee and Taobao gain favor from furniture buyers, leaving local brands in a challenging competition scenario
Shopee Dominates Home and Furniture Sales in Singapore, Taobao Remains a Popular Cross-border Option
In the bustling city-state of Singapore, Shopee has emerged as the dominant e-commerce platform for home and furniture products [1][2]. As of mid-2025, Shopee is the most visited marketplace website in Singapore, surpassing Amazon, Lazada, and Taobao in traffic rankings [2]. The platform's gross merchandise volume (GMV) reached approximately $100 billion in 2024, with a forecasted 20%-plus growth for 2025 [1][4].
Shopee's success can be attributed to its mobile-first approach, gamification, live commerce features, and integration of fintech services like loans and insurance, which support consumer purchases, including for higher-value home and furniture products [1][4]. The platform's logistics partnerships, such as with Singapore’s Ninja Van, enhance delivery capabilities and customer experience locally.
However, Taobao, owned by Alibaba, has not been left behind. Although it ranks comparatively low (5th place) among marketplace websites in Singapore, it has seen rising interest from Singaporeans for its home and furniture products [2]. This is particularly true for those seeking diverse or more affordable options beyond local platforms.
A case in point is the story of Nurasheila Abdul Razak and Syakir Sabirin, first-time homeowners in Singapore. With a busy schedule and a toddler to take care of, they found shopping for furniture challenging. To overcome this, they discovered Taobao and used Google Translate to navigate the website due to a language barrier. Despite this, they bought about 90% of their furniture on Taobao [3].
The launch of Taobao's English version has contributed to the growth of the home and furniture category. Ms Miko Tse, the head of marketing at Taobao Singapore, stated that the category has seen "strong double-digit year-over-year growth" [3].
Meanwhile, younger homeowners in Singapore, who tend to be digitally native and value seamless mobile shopping, find Shopee's engaging app experience, localized promotions, and strong logistics an attractive and convenient channel for home and furniture purchases. Taobao remains a popular alternative for consumers prioritizing variety and cross-border deals but may involve longer delivery times and less localized service.
In summary, Shopee leads in home and furniture sales to Singaporean consumers, especially younger homeowners, through a strong local presence and digitized user experience, while Taobao serves as a complementary cross-border source [1][2][3][4]. The growing group of younger homeowners in Singapore are increasingly turning to online platforms for their furniture needs, making the competition in this segment more intense and exciting.
References:
[1] TechCrunch. (2025). Shopee’s GMV hits $100 billion, forecasts 20% growth in 2025. TechCrunch. Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com/2025/02/01/shopee-gmv-hits-100-billion-forecasts-20-growth-in-2025/
[2] Statista. (2025). Market share of the leading e-commerce websites in Singapore as of April 2025. Statista. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1196836/market-share-of-leading-e-commerce-websites-in-singapore/
[3] Straits Times. (2025). Singaporeans turn to Taobao for home and furniture products. The Straits Times. Retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/business/retail/singaporeans-turn-to-taobao-for-home-and-furniture-products
[4] eMarketer. (2025). Shopee to dominate Southeast Asia’s e-commerce market in 2025. eMarketer. Retrieved from https://www.emarketer.com/content/shopee-to-dominate-southeast-asias-e-commerce-market-in-2025
- In the retail landscape of Singapore, Shopee and Taobao have become prominent e-commerce platforms, with Shopee leading in home and furniture sales, while Taobao offers diverse and more affordably priced options for consumers prioritizing variety and cross-border deals.
- With their mobile-first approach, gamification, and integration of fintech services like loans and insurance, Shopee has gained traction among younger homeowners in Singapore who value a seamless shopping experience.
- Despite Taobao's lower ranking among marketplace websites in Singapore compared to Shopee, the platform has seen significant growth in home and furniture sales, particularly among consumers seeking an alternative to local platforms for unique and financially appealing options, even with the potential trade-off of longer delivery times and less localized service.
