DUE to the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns in 2020, retail businesses had to scramble to go online in order to regain sales and survive, while work-from-home workers adapted to shopping online. Lazada Malaysia chief marketing officer Diana Boo noted that the online shopping platform saw a 300% increase in new sellers on-board last year, via its Pakej Kedai Pintar stimulus plan which aimed to assist local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to sell online. “The overall digital economy has grown. We’re not the only e-commerce platform. There are many small businesses that have gone online. And even after the movement control order (MCO) was lifted, consumers continue to stay online, ” said Boo at the Smart Retail: Powering Nation’s Digital Economy two-day live virtual conference, held at end-March.