Skip to content
E-Tailing

eBay and Singapore Institute of Retail Studies come together to deliver eCommerce training

By Rajiv MenonSingapore
2 min read
Ebayb Marketplace
Ebayb Marketplace
In this article (4)

eBay and the Singapore Institute of Retail Studies (SIRS) joined forces to deliver training to small businesses and entrepreneurs seeking new and global sales channels in the fast-growing eCommerce sector. Titled “Let’s eBay with SIRS”, the full-day workshop was held at the Lifelong Learning Institute, one of two Continuing Education and Training (CET) campuses by SkillsFuture Singapore. To offer SMEs in Singapore a holistic support system to grow their businesses globally and sustainably, eBay and SIRS signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) focused on Global e-Commerce Onboarding & Education Programs.

Singapore’s eCommerce market is expected to grow by 48% to S$10.04 billion by 2022, and a rising number of entrepreneurial Singaporeans are capitalising on the opportunity to sell their products directly to customers all around the world on eBay.

According to eBay Head of Southeast Asia Seller Growth Wong Mei Inn, “Singapore’s cross border trade (CBT) exports continue to grow and there is huge opportunity for more small businesses to join the ranks of eBay sellers. By listing their products on eBay’s global marketplace, Singaporean businesses can reach 180 million active buyers all around the world.”

“Let’s eBay with SIRS was designed for the small business and entrepreneur who has little or no ecommerce experience but wants to learn directly from the source,” said Wong.

“eBay has thousands of sellers here in Singapore and over 80% of them sell to customers overseas. eBay’s focus in Singapore this year is to enable even more SMEs to sell worldwide”, said Jenny Hui, General Manager, Cross Border Trade, eBay Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia.

Let’s eBay with SIRS was designed for the small business and entrepreneur who has little or no ecommerce experience but wants to learn directly from the source,

“eCommerce has been recognised as one of the key growth opportunities under the 2020 vision of the Retail Industry Transformation Map launched by SPRING Singapore (now Enterprise Singapore),” said Nanyang Polytechnic’s Singapore Institute of Retail Studies Director Megan Ong. “By partnering eBay, we will be able to encourage retailers in Singapore to adopt eCommerce and omni-channel strategies to succeed in today’s digital context.”

Small medium enterprises (SMEs) contribute to 72% of Singapore’s employment, and in 2018, added a nominal value of S$213.6 billion, or 48% to the economy. The government has acknowledged the importance of SMEs plugging into the digital economy as it would make a noticeable impact on Singapore’s economic growth.

During the workshop, Let’s eBay with SIRS featured speakers from eBay, SIRS, WorldFirst, Watcheszon International, JTBC Global and DHL Express Singapore. The speakers shared case studies, advice on getting started, and introductions to payments and logistics service providers to help small businesses begin their global ecommerce journey.

Following the workshop, eBay has launched the “eBay Onboarding Program”, a series of courses with SIRS to further enable SMEs to optimise cross-border selling and manage operations. Each course will be charged at $160, and subsidies range from 70-95%. For more information on the courses and available subsidies, visit https://www.sirsdigitalcommerce.com/ebay.html or email SIRS at [email protected]

Questions & Answers

Q.

What specific type of training does the 'Let's eBay with SIRS' workshop provide?

A.

The full-day workshop offers training to small businesses and entrepreneurs who have little or no e-commerce experience, helping them learn directly from eBay and other experts to access new global sales channels.

Q.

How do SMEs in Singapore benefit from listing their products on eBay's global marketplace?

A.

Singaporean businesses can reach 180 million active buyers worldwide, using eBay's platform for cross-border trade. Over 80% of current Singaporean eBay sellers already sell to overseas customers.

Q.

What further support does eBay offer SMEs after the initial workshop, and what is the cost involved?

A.

eBay has launched the 'eBay Onboarding Program', a series of courses with SIRS to help SMEs optimise cross-border selling and manage operations. Each course costs $160, with subsidies available from 70-95%.

Reader pulse

Is eBay's training initiative a major shift for Singaporean SMEs?

20,849 votes so far

Weekly Briefing

Asia's retail intelligence, in your inbox

Tuesday, Thursday and a Saturday Weekly Wrap: the retail stories, numbers and moves that mattered across Asia. Nothing else, and you can unsubscribe in one click.

  • Top industry moves and market shifts
  • Weekly data-driven analysis from across Asia
  • Tuesday, Thursday and the Saturday Weekly Wrap

Read by retail operators, investors and brand teams across Asia.

Protected by a quick human check. No spam, ever. Unsubscribe in one click.

SecureGDPR ready