Discovery Commerce Opens New Opportunities for MSMEs in the Digital Era

Indonesia’s digital economic ecosystem continues to transform towards a new era focused on strengthening the capacity and competitiveness of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). In conjunction with National Batik Day on 2 October and as a precursor to the National Online Shopping Day (Harbolnas) in December, Tokopedia and TikTok Shop Indonesia have officially launched the ‘Waktuna Start Jualan Nyaman, Special Collaboration Perayaan Beli Lokal’ campaign.

This strategic move is focused on expanding market access for local products through a discovery commerce approach. This content-based trading model is considered capable of fundamentally changing how consumers interact with and discover premium products on digital platforms.

Stephanie Susilo, President Director of Tokopedia and TikTok Shop Indonesia, explained that discovery commerce introduces a new mechanism where product discovery no longer relies solely on search bars, but rather through inspiring, authentic, and creative visual content. According to Tokopedia’s internal data, orders generated through live sessions and short videos have experienced significant increases of 59 per cent and 135 per cent, respectively, while the participation of affiliate creators has boosted business orders by up to 170 per cent.

“No matter how small a business is, it now has the opportunity to be discovered, recognised, and chosen by consumers thanks to the power of content. With connectivity that has reached approximately 98 per cent of populated areas, our focus is shifting from encouraging MSMEs to enter the digital realm to helping increase productivity and competitiveness through capacity building and market expansion,” stated Stephanie Susilo in Solo on Monday (21/9/2026).

Stephanie noted that this great potential aligns with projections for the national digital economy value, which is expected to reach between 180 billion USD (IDR 2,790 trillion) and 340 billion USD (IDR 2,880 trillion) by 2030. This rapid growth is primarily supported by the acceleration of the e-commerce industry, digital financial services, and inclusive content-based business models.

In regions such as Solo, Central Java, MSMEs have proven to play a vital role, contributing almost 57 per cent to the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) of Surakarta City and absorbing approximately 36 per cent of the local workforce. Through the ‘Beli Lokal’ initiative and the ‘Melokal dengan Batik’ programme, curated sellers in Solo have even recorded an average increase in orders of 57 per cent.

“MSMEs are an important part of Solo’s economy. BRIDA studies show that MSMEs have the potential to contribute up to 43 per cent to Solo’s GRDP. Therefore, we welcome the #BeliLokal initiative from Tokopedia and TikTok Shop, which encourages the strengthening of business legality and the use of digital content to expand markets. We hope more MSMEs in Solo take this opportunity to grow stronger and more competitive,” said the Mayor of Surakarta, Respati Achmad Ardianto.