Small e-commerce teams often struggle to keep up with rising customer inquiries while managing daily operations. For New Earth, a sustainability-focused brand known for eco-friendly washable paper bags, this challenge was a constant reality—until it adopted AI-powered tools to streamline its workflow.
With only six team members, New Earth previously relied on manual responses to handle customer messages. During peak periods, staff had to pause other tasks just to keep up with inquiries, affecting overall productivity.
“We take turns answering customer inquiries,” said Valerie Pineda, founder of New Earth. “Whenever our admin assistant is busy and cannot reply, I step in and help respond to customers.”
To address these challenges, the brand turned to Shopee’s Chat AI Assistant, which automates responses to routine queries such as order status, delivery updates, and product availability. Features like FAQ Assistant and Auto Reply significantly reduced repetitive workload, allowing the team to maintain responsiveness without constant manual effort.
“It helps us immensely because we don’t have to go through every single message anymore,” Pineda added.
Beyond customer service, Shopee also introduced tools designed to improve product presentation and operational efficiency. The Product AI Optimiser helps sellers enhance listings by automatically generating product visuals, recommending effective cover images, and assisting buyers in selecting the right size based on provided charts.
Together, these AI-driven solutions reduce manual workload, improve response times, and help small teams focus on strategic growth rather than repetitive tasks—highlighting how artificial intelligence is reshaping e-commerce operations for lean businesses.
