Founder Audrey Chew returned to her family's hawker roots to reinvent traditional You Tiao in a convenient frozen format for today's consumers.

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 10 August 2026 - As more local businesses embrace e-commerce to reach new customers, Shopee continues to support their growth beyond traditional sales channels. You Tiao Man is one such example. Under the leadership of fourth-generation entrepreneur Audrey Chew, the business has evolved from supplying hotels and foodservice operators to serving consumers directly after launching its frozen products on Shopee in 2020. It has recorded close to 50% growth over just the past two years on the platform while continuing to reinvent one of Singapore's best-loved breakfast favourites for a new generation of consumers.

Launching on Shopee

After a decade of working overseas, Chew returned to Singapore to establish You Tiao Man in 2017, with the ambition of making traditional You Tiao more accessible without compromising its authenticity. Having grown up helping at her family's hawker stall, she saw an opportunity to reinvent the familiar breakfast favourite in a format better suited to changing consumer lifestyles.

The result was a shorter frozen You Tiao that could be prepared using an air fryer, oven or toaster. Originally developed for hotels and export markets, the business planned to enter the consumer retail market several years later. However, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated those plans. When You Tiao Man was ready to launch directly to consumers, Shopee became one of the first e-commerce platforms where it launched its frozen products in April 2020.

Building Consumer Demand

Expanding into the consumer market required more than simply selling online. While You Tiao was already a familiar breakfast staple, frozen You Tiao was still a relatively new concept for many households. The business also had to learn consumer marketing, product packaging, labelling and digital selling, all of which differed significantly from supplying hotels and restaurants.

As one of the first e-commerce platforms where You Tiao Man launched, Shopee supported the business through campaigns, Affiliate Marketing Solutions (AMS), Shopee Live and Shopee Video. These helped demonstrate how frozen You Tiao could be prepared and enjoyed at home. Although the team had no previous livestreaming experience, they learned through trial and error. Their very first Shopee Live generated close to 40 orders within just the first hour, validating demand and giving the business confidence to continue investing in its direct to consumer expansion

Building on this momentum, You Tiao Man collaborated with popular creators, including @emobsessed, to reach new audiences and inspire more households to try frozen You Tiao.

"Many things came together at the right time. Shopee, payment methods and the lockdown all created the momentum for frozen You Tiao to take off. Shopee has always been our OG platform and played a key role in helping us reach consumers," said Audrey Chew, Founder of You Tiao Man.

Innovating for Future Growth

As the business grew, Shopee became an important source of consumer insights. Sales performance, purchasing trends and postcode data help the team identify where demand is strongest, understand which products resonate most with customers and tailor marketing efforts accordingly. Fast customer feedback has also made Shopee an effective testbed for new ideas.

"Shopee is more than a sales channel for us. The platform gives us fast feedback and valuable consumer insights that help us understand what customers are looking for, allowing us to keep innovating while staying true to our heritage," Chew added.

These insights have informed a growing product range designed for different consumer segments. Wholegrain You Tiao caters to health conscious consumers, while Mochi You Tiao appeals to younger audiences. Otah and Sotong You Tiao target local tastes, while You Tiao Chips became Singapore's first shelf stable You Tiao product. The business has also expanded its range to include Nian Gao, Thai fried bananas and durian balls.

Looking ahead, You Tiao Man will continue leveraging Shopee's ecosystem to preserve its family heritage while developing products that meet evolving consumer preferences. The business also plans to continue growing its presence in Singapore and overseas.