Crafting the future: How local makers turn their passion into thriving online businesses
From miniature food art in Singapore to batik in Indonesia, Shopee is connecting local artisans with a broader audience.
Shopee is helping small businesses to overcome challenges, expand their reach and grow in new directions. Photo/videos: Shopee
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Late at night, while her young children sleep, Singaporean crafter Victoria Peh is at her worktable, hand-painting miniature clay fishcakes and fishballs. She makes hundreds of each ingredient before assembling them into familiar local dishes – all in fingernail-sized form.
“A bowl of mee pok is actually one of my most challenging pieces,” she said. “It’s a miniature with more components than usual. The smaller it is, the more patience it takes.”
Though she holds a full-time job, the 43-year-old had tried selling her creations at fairs and international websites but saw little return as the reach was limited and costs were high.
That changed in 2017. “I’d started using Shopee – just as a buyer first – and realised how user-friendly the platform was,” she said. “I started selling my miniatures there and found I could reach a much wider audience.” The 24/7 storefront boosted both visibility and sales, allowing customers to browse her full catalogue anytime.
PASSION IN A FAST-PACED SOCIETY
Even as Ms Peh continues to juggle full-time work and parenting, her miniature craft business has grown in unexpected ways. Her food miniatures have been used as teaching props in preschools, as relationship mementos, and even placed at columbaria as symbolic offerings for loved ones.
“In a way, my miniatures have found a place in life’s biggest and smallest moments,” she mused.
In a productivity-driven city like Singapore, hobbies often take a back seat. Yet Ms Peh has shown that passion and pragmatism can coexist, turning her late-night crafting sessions into a sustainable online business on Shopee. “There’s no factory or team. I’m a one-woman business,” she said.
Shopee’s features – from simplified product listings to in-app logistics and automated payments – allow her to run an efficient store without extra manpower. By making e-commerce simple and accessible, Shopee has empowered sellers like Victoria to turn their personal passions into meaningful livelihoods.
Her dedication and steady growth first earned her the Shopee Preferred Seller badge in 2021, a recognition awarded to top-performing sellers. The status comes with a host of benefits, including higher platform visibility, expanded listing limits and greater customer engagement through free broadcast messages. It also grants them access to exclusive tools for smarter selling and inventory management.
FROM PEKALONGAN TO THE WORLD: A BATIK MAKER GOES DIGITAL
According to Shopee’s latest regional impact report, 80 per cent of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sellers on Shopee live outside capital cities, using the platform to reach customers far beyond their immediate communities. One of them is Ahmad Musa, 38, a batik maker from Pekalongan – a UNESCO-recognised creative city in Central Java renowned for its rich batik heritage.
Before going online, Mr Musa ran a physical store – until an electrical fire in 2018 destroyed the space. The incident pushed him to rethink how to rebuild his business more safely and sustainably.
Recognising that young customers were increasingly shopping online, he saw e-commerce as the natural next step. When he restarted in 2020, he launched his brand, Batik Kanthil, on Shopee.
“I wanted to bring something new and relevant for the next generation,” Mr Musa said. “I believe batik can be creatively reimagined to stand alongside today’s fashion trends.”
Shopee Live soon became one of his most useful tools, allowing his team to present fabrics, share the stories behind their motifs and connect with customers in real time. The shift online helped his business grow and become more resilient, ensuring traditional craftsmanship continues to live on through innovation.
Through the Shopee Export Programme, Batik Kanthil now reaches buyers outside Indonesia, including in Singapore and Malaysia.
Today, Mr Musa leads a 45-person team made up of young workers and artisans. Production value has increased eightfold while sales have gone up twentyfold. “This transition has enabled me to empower the local community in Pekalongan, giving them the skills and opportunities to be self-reliant.”
POWERING A DECADE OF DIGITAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Shopee’s regional impact report found that MSME sellers have collectively generated US$270 billion (S$351 billion) in gross merchandise value on the platform over the past decade.
Stories like Ms Peh’s and Mr Musa’s reflect a broader shift among small businesses turning to e-commerce to manage business challenges, reach new audiences and scale new heights.
“We’re proud to see how local sellers have grown with Shopee,” said Mr Handhika Jahja, executive director at Shopee. “In the coming years, we’ll keep creating tools and opportunities that help every seller, regardless of size, reach new milestones.”
Discover more of these stories in Shopee’s 10th anniversary docuseries. To come onboard Shopee as a seller, visit the Shopee website.
