CELEBRATING WOMEN OF THE YEAR
Despite their diverse backgrounds across Southeast Asia, the Lazada Forward Woman of the Year Award winners all share several things in common: the courage needed to start a business from scratch, the ingenuity needed to deal with the unexpected and the desire to share their skills. with their staff and their communities.
For example, take former university physics professor Farica Edgina Yosafat. The 36-year-old knew her e-commerce venture on Lazada – a mother and baby products store called Berry Baby – had the potential to succeed, but she needed a skilled team to set it up. Ms. Yosafat trained her staff in data analysis, marketing and product listing, giving them new skills and advancing her business. Her experience and successful business led her to take on the role of City Leader of Lazada Club in Bandung, Indonesia, where she continues to pay it forward.
In a similar vein, 33-year-old Ms. Doan Tran Thuy Linh used her newly acquired knowledge of data analytics acquired at Lazada University to anticipate demand and introduce new products at Light Coffee, her Lazada-based business. in Ho Chi Minh City. Light Coffee has since had 19 employees and Ms. Doan Tran has even opened her own factory and warehouse. She now shares her learning with over 10,000 budding salespeople at Lazada University.
Innovation takes determination and courage, but when the risk pays off, the satisfaction is immense. Ms Monalisa Gao, 45, would be expected to stop and smell the roses in 2013 after retiring from her well-established chain of consumer electronics stores in the Philippines. Inspired by the range of products available on China’s Taobao platform, Gao was however intrigued by the possibilities of e-commerce. Back then, e-commerce was still a new option for many Filipinos. She decided to open a pioneering Lazada store, Lucky HR, selling consumer electronics, and it was a resounding success. Customers flocked to her e-commerce store and Ms. Gao was soon able to expand to three warehouses covering 5,000 sqm today.
Bangkok resident Pattiya Thanasrivanitchai is also a trailblazer – in a very different way. During a trip to the Maldives, Ms. Pattiya experienced using a menstrual cup. Learning the benefits of using one, she wanted to share her achievement with others. She started menstrual cup retailer Happi Cup on Lazada and is now an advocate for women’s health and wellness. His willingness to discuss a once taboo subject has turned customers into fans, who appreciate his candor and progressive content on Happi Cup’s social media platforms.
Finally, Women of the Year are also unafraid to embrace change and seek out the resources to thrive.
Instead of throwing in the towel when competition for her physical store got tough, Malaysian pharmacy owner Kong Wai Theng, 44, enrolled at Lazada University to learn the digital skills needed to do bring his company – Big Care Mart – into the digital realm. Her bold decision and willingness to adapt made Big Care Mart’s transition to an online retailer a success – so much so that Ms. Kong won the Lazada Top Seller Award in Health two years in a row from 2018 to 2019.
Similarly, Singaporean Liang Wee Ling originally opened her Lazada store, 8 miles away, to sell handmade hair accessories. Realizing that there was a strong demand for mother and baby products, Ms. Liang quickly changed her focus. She also leveraged Lazada’s mega campaigns like 11.11 and 12.12 to boost sales. Her journey motivated her to become a Lazada Sellers Ambassador, nurturing and inspiring a supportive community of fellow sellers.
EXCEPTIONAL INDIVIDUALS ACROSS SOUTHEAST ASIA
The winners have also demonstrated creative approaches to e-commerce, as well as an unyielding attitude that has propelled them through difficult times.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced 28-year-old Rising Star Award winner Nguyen Thị Kim Oanh to close his travel agency in Ho Chi Minh City. She then created 1994food on Lazada, which sells healthy snacks like nuts, granola and diet cookies – the kind of food she craved when she welcomed a newborn daughter around the same time.
Ms. Nguyen now mentors other new vendors in addition to managing her team and factory, which produces her top-selling diet biscotti – a popular product in Vietnam’s fast-growing diet food industry.
Ms. Nadya Amatullah, 38, runs a nature-inspired clothing brand based in Lazada named Nadjani. The avant-garde brand participated in Jakarta Fashion Week and collaborated with several influencers. As the pandemic spread, Ms. Nadya was unfazed. With her team of more than 40 employees in Bandung, many of whom were stay-at-home moms, Ms Nadya shifted to producing reusable cloth face masks and products like aprons and gardening kits for customers staying at home. the House. His spirit of initiative and quick thinking earned him the Enterprising award.
Spas may have been under pressure during the pandemic, but Ms Pauline Ng – a Singaporean who launched luxury facial spa Porcelain with her mother in 2009 – is thriving despite the challenges. The 35-year-old sells Porcelain’s skincare products at her flagship store LazMall and is exploring the use of e-commerce technology to reach customers directly. By retraining her team in areas such as datasets, customer service interactions and live streaming, the Inspiring Award winner has dramatically increased Porcelain’s subscribers and customer engagement.
For the other winners, what paid off was leveraging the power of digital tools to build communities and share their unique subject matter expertise with others.
For example, Nurul Izzan Zamzuri, Creative Award winner and avid crocheter, started Niz Craft to provide the quality yarn she loves to work with to the crochet community in Malaysia. The 38-year-old from Selangor developed her creativity by sharing craft ideas and advice, gradually expanding her clientele. She is now a reliable source of crochet advice, as well as being an approved salesperson for a well-known yarn brand from the Netherlands.
In Las Pinas, Philippines, Mrs. Elyse Janina P Juan, 32, sells gifts, stationery, crafts and home decor at her store LazMall, Papemelroti, a heritage business started by her grandmother he 55 years ago. By bringing the business online, Ms. Juan hopes to preserve her legacy of beautiful, locally made and eco-friendly handicrafts while expanding regionally and one day internationally. His forward-looking initiative won him the Bricks to Clicks Tech Adopter award.
Loonnystore on Bangkok-based Lazada is on top of the fashion and social media game. Run by fashion enthusiast Manassawee Suangkaew, 34, the trendy clothing boutique engages customers with its exceptional service and social media content, which offers rich fashion insights. Having built a community of loyal customers, Ms. Manassawee has been recognized as a social star in the LFWA – and as one of many exciting female entrepreneurs changing the e-commerce landscape in Southeast Asia.
Mr. Raymond Yang, Chief Operating Officer of Lazada Group, said, “It is amazing to witness the remarkable achievements of female sellers in the Southeast Asian digital commerce ecosystem. Our Lazada sellers have continued to innovate and adapt their businesses to the e-commerce environment, meet their customers’ needs and improve their product offerings. We are proud to walk alongside these winners and create a diverse and inclusive world. »
The full list of winners:
- Lazada Forward Woman of the Year (Indonesia): Ms. Farica Edgina Yosafat
- Lazada Forward Woman of the Year (Vietnam): Ms. Doan Tran Thuy Linh
- Lazada Forward Woman of the Year (Philippines): Ms. Monalisa Gao
- Lazada Forward Woman of the Year (Thailand): Ms. Pattiya Thanasrivanitchai
- Lazada Forward Woman of the Year (Malaysia): Ms. Kong Thai Weng
- Lazada Forward Woman of the Year (Singapore): Ms. Liang Wee Ling
- Rising Star Award: Ms. Nguyen Thị Kim Oanh
- Enterprising Award: Mrs. Nadya Amatullah
- Inspirational Award: Mrs. Pauline Ng
- Creative Award: Ms. Nurul Izzan Zamzuri
- Bricks to Clicks Tech Adopter Award: Ms. Elyse Janina P Juan
- Social Star Award: Ms. Manassawee Suangkaew
Do you feel inspired? Register as a Lazada seller.
