By June 2026, TikTok Shop’s total visits across six Southeast Asian markets reached 438.9 million — 85.9% of Shopee’s traffic and approximately 6.1 times Lazada’s. The platform has gone from disruptor to incumbent in under three years. But traffic isn’t the whole story. Each platform serves a different purpose in a brand’s social commerce strategy, and the smartest brands aren’t choosing one — they’re building platform-specific playbooks.
TikTok Shop: The Growth Engine
TikTok Shop’s GMV in Southeast Asia doubled year-over-year to US$45.6 billion in 2025, driven by its content-first discovery model. Short videos, live streams, and affiliate creators form an integrated funnel where entertainment leads to purchase without app-switching. The platform captures 45% of Indonesia’s social commerce market and has nearly closed the traffic gap with Shopee in Vietnam (3.4% difference) and Indonesia (0.4% difference). Best for: beauty, fashion, FMCG targeting 18–35 demographic. Requires: consistent content production and creator partnerships — this is not a “list and wait” platform.
Shopee Live: The Conversion Machine
Shopee remains the GMV leader at US$832 billion across the region, and Shopee Live drives over 60% of its social commerce sales with conversion rates of 5.8–7.2%. Its strength is the integrated checkout experience — viewers transition to purchase without leaving the stream. Shopee Live excels at deal-driven, mass-market categories: consumer goods, electronics, everyday essentials. The platform’s voucher and flash sale mechanics create urgency that TikTok’s entertainment-first model doesn’t replicate. Best for: conversion-heavy campaigns, price-sensitive consumers, broad-reach categories.
LazLive: The Brand Builder
Lazada’s live commerce ecosystem caters to a more affluent, brand-conscious audience. With strong LazMall integration, high production value capabilities, and robust backend analytics, LazLive is the platform of choice for established brands in electronics, lifestyle, and premium categories. Its audience is smaller than TikTok or Shopee, but higher-intent. Best for: brand storytelling, premium product launches, categories where trust and brand equity drive purchase decisions.
Instagram & Facebook Live: The Community Channel
Meta’s platforms retain relevance, particularly in markets like Thailand (Facebook: 55% social commerce share) and among small businesses building community-first commerce. Instagram Shopping has grown to 12% of Indonesia’s social commerce market. These platforms work best as brand-owned engagement channels — less about impulse purchase, more about nurturing existing audiences. Best for: local businesses, community-driven brands, remarketing to existing followers.
The Platform Portfolio Approach
The winning strategy for most brands is a portfolio: TikTok Shop for discovery and growth, Shopee Live for conversion volume, LazLive for brand equity, and Meta for community retention. The brands trying to win on just one platform are leaving money — and audience segments — on the table.
Not sure which platform mix is right for your brand? Let’s talk.
