Lazada sees lift in virtual mall orders thanks to AI chatbot

Photo credit: Tada Images / Shutterstock

Southeast Asian ecommerce marketplace Lazada saw more sellers and higher order values in its 9.9 Mega Sale event in September, crediting an AI-powered chatbot as the driving force behind the surge.

LazMall, its virtual mall which partners with more than 32,000 international and local brands, saw close to a 30% increase in average order value during the sales event compared to last year, the company said in a statement.

Sales among its top 100 merchants also increased 49x than a year earlier. Product categories that saw the fastest growth year on year were idol merchandise and gaming handheld consoles, which grew 6930% and 888% respectively.

AI Lazzie, its AI-powered shopping assistant, contributed to a 36% increase in orders, compared to its 6.6 sale event in June, Lazada said.

Launched in October 2024, AI Lazzie can give customers personalized product suggestions, help them search for deals, and summarize product reviews.

See also: Niche players chasing Shopee may find survival is enough

The company seeks to further use AI to drive brand-driven sales, which currently contribute under a third to gross merchandise value in the region.

“We see a tremendous opportunity ahead by accelerating brand-led growth and tapping into the US$131 billion market potential that genAI is expected to unlock by 2030,” said Iris Wei, president of Lazada Group.