For Malaysians who like backing homegrown brands, the latest numbers from this year's 9.9 sale suggest the habit is paying off for the sellers on the other side of the screen.
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Quick facts
- TikTok Shop Malaysia says its #JomLokal small sellers grew 9.9 sales 140% year on year
- That is more than 3.5 times the platform average
- More than 200,000 new local sellers joined TikTok Shop in 2026
- About 58% of TikTok users in Malaysia say they prefer to buy local
TikTok Shop Malaysia says its #JomLokal micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) grew sales 140% year on year during the 9.9 campaign, more than 3.5 times the platform's average growth. The jump comes as about 58% of TikTok users in Malaysia say they prefer to buy from local businesses.
Why local sellers are growing faster
Much of the momentum comes from what TikTok Shop calls discovery commerce, where shoppers find products through short videos and LIVE sessions rather than typing a search. That matters for small brands, because it puts a seller in Mentakab or Kudat in front of shoppers who were never going to look them up by name. More than 200,000 new local sellers joined TikTok Shop in 2026, including rural and small-town brands now reaching buyers nationwide.
This builds on the platform's earlier local-seller push, including a tie-up with the domestic trade ministry to cut living costs on everyday essentials.
LIVE has become the shopfront
For many #JomLokal sellers, a LIVE session now does the job a shop counter used to. In one stream a seller can demonstrate a product, answer questions as they arrive and build the kind of trust that usually takes a face-to-face visit. Almost six in 10 TikTok Shop users in Malaysia now name LIVE as their preferred way to shop.
"Through discovery commerce, a small business in Mentakab, Besut or Kudat can now reach shoppers nationwide," said Nur Azre Abdul Aziz, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships at TikTok Shop Malaysia.
From hometowns to nationwide
Creators are a growing source of sales, with creator-driven sales on the platform almost doubling year on year. Hijab brand Qaysaa, started in 2022 from a home in Mentakab, Pahang, now runs its own boutique, and creator partnerships account for nearly 90% of its TikTok Shop sales.
Training is part of the picture too. Working with partners that include the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) and TEKUN Nasional, TikTok Shop says it trained 154,000 sellers and creators across Malaysia in 2026. One of them, Emaliana Ramli of baby food brand Adhwa in Besut, Terengganu, doubled her LIVE hours during a three-month incubation and saw TikTok Shop sales double to more than RM115,000, with orders growing from around 6,200 to more than 13,000.
Lower costs for shoppers and sellers
In 2026, TikTok Shop committed up to RM250 million to support 400,000 local sellers and creators through shipping rebates, vouchers and visibility, lowering the cost of reaching new customers. During 9.9, vouchers and campaign support helped shoppers save close to 40% per order on average, which gives small brands more chances to turn a first order into a repeat one.
A cost-of-living effort with KPDN, called Ihsan Rahmah, generated around 28,000 orders for staples such as rice, flour, noodles and canned food during 9.9, and helped households save nearly RM450,000. It is a reminder that the same platform Malaysians increasingly use to learn and connect is also becoming a place to stretch the household budget.
What it means heading into year-end
With 11.11 and 12.12 next on the calendar, the pattern points one way: more Malaysians discovering local brands through video, and more small sellers treating LIVE as their main shopfront. For shoppers, that means more homegrown options and sharper prices at checkout. For anyone running a small business, it is a signal that a phone and a LIVE session are now a credible route to customers well beyond the home town.
