Online Shopping Sites in the Philippines

Online shopping sites in the Philippines are enjoying a huge boost in their online sales in recent months due to the lockdown policy that has been implemented because of the COVID-19. This is also the case in most countries around the world that have implemented the lockdown policy.

During the lockdown, almost all non-essential businesses were closed to prevent the spread of the disease and the people resorted to buying their needed products online. Even before the pandemic, online shopping in the Philippines has been seeing steady growth over the years.

According to Statista, user penetration will be 35.5% in 2020 and is expected to hit 46.5% by 2024. There are many reasons why Online Shopping is the future and retail and one of the primary reasons is of course – convenience.

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Who shops online in the Philippines?

According to the 2019 Slideshare by Hootsuite and We Are Social:

90% of Philippine Internet Users searched online for a product or service to buy
92% of Philippine Internet Users visited an online store on the web using any device
70% of Philippine Internet Users purchased a product or a service online using any device

Check the Slideshare below if you want to learn more about the Slideshare report about the Ecommerce Data of the Philippines.

Source: Digital 2019 Philippines (January 2019) v01 from DataReportal

What are the biggest industries in the Philippines ‘eCommerce?

Based on the same study, the following are the biggest industries in the Philippines’ eCommerce. I have arranged this list based on the total amount spent on US$.

Travel (Including Accommodation): $3.542 Billion
Electronics and Physical Media: $234 Million
Fashion and Beauty: $203 Million
Furniture and Appliances: $148 Million
Toys, DIY, and Hobbies: $128 Million
Food and Personal Care: $127 Million
Video Games: $119 Million
Digital Music: $35 Million

What are the online shopping sites in the Philippines?

As the years go by, the number of online shopping sites in the Philippines has been increasing steadily. Some are just plain online marketplaces, some are traditional stores that created their own online stores and some are social media websites that have been utilized for selling online.

Here is the list of online shopping sites in the Philippines arranged in their respective categories.

Online Marketplaces – General Merchandise

Lazada

Lazada is one of the biggest marketplaces in the Philippines where you can buy almost anything imaginable. Some sellers are located locally and some are located in some other countries. It’s one of the leading online shopping platforms in Southeast Asia with a presence in 6 countries – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

If you’re a seller, you have an option to sign up as an individual or corporate seller at their Marketplace. If you’re a registered brand owner and distributor, you can sell at LazMall.

eBay Philippines

eBay Philippines is undoubtedly one of the biggest online marketplaces in the world and in the Philippines as well. It’s where you could buy and sell brand-new and second-hand items. You can also buy and sell locally and internationally using eBay Philippines. eBay has a feedback system so buyers can gauge the trustworthiness of the sellers.

Carousell Philippines

Carousell is an online selling marketplace that was founded in Singapore and has now grown into 9 other countries including the Philippines. Just like eBay, you can buy and sell brand-new and second-hand items on Carousell. What sets Carousell from the competition aside from the feedback system is the real-time chat functionality. If you’re a buyer, you can talk to the seller in real-time as long as they are online.

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Shoppee

Shopee is one of the fastest-growing eCommerce websites in the Philippines primarily because of its constant marketing and also the variety of products and services being offered at Shoppee. Bargain lovers will love Shoppee because a lot of the sellers from Shoppee are selling items at a very low cost and from time to time, they also offer free and discounted shipping.

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BuyandSellPh

BuyandSellPh is one of the oldest online marketplaces in the country with roots originating from print. I used to remember buying a copy of BuyandSellPh at our local newsstand. Just like the first three websites, you can also buy and sell almost anything from this website.

Instagram

Even though Instagram is a social media app, it was found by a lot of people as a useful marketing and selling tool. There are lots of small online entrepreneurs that have their online stores on Instagram.

Facebook Marketplace

Facebook is one of the most popular websites and social media sites on the planet with billions of users worldwide. In 2016, Facebook introduced Facebook Marketplace where people can buy and sell items in their communities. This has been received well by users and it’s becoming one of the biggest online marketplaces in the world.

Automotives

If you’re thinking of buying a vehicle for personal or business use then you should check this list of online marketplaces for buying and selling brand new and used cars, SUVs, trucks, commercial vehicles, motorbikes, auto parts, services, and more.

Online Fashion Shops

Zalora

If you’re shopping for clothes, bags, shoes, and accessories, then you should check out Zalora. Zalora is one of the leading websites when it comes to fashion. They carry a plethora of brands. Some can be found in the shopping malls and some can only be found on Zalora. They are also selling ready-to-wear pieces in collaborations with some Filipino designers.

Branded Fashion Online Shops

Brand owners both local and international are now starting to recognize the power of eCommerce and have been building their own eCommerce platforms to cater to their customers who prefer to shop online. Here are some of the branded fashion online shops that are available in the Philippines (arranged alphabetically):

Sports Gears, Sportswear, and Other Accessories Online Shops

If you are looking for sports apparel, sports gears, and other sports-related accessories then check these online stores out.

Mobile Phones, Cameras, Computers, Electronics, and Services

Home Appliances, Furniture and More

Department Stores with Online Stores, Online Groceries, Online Pharmacies and More

Other Online Stores

Food Delivery Services

Food Panda
GrabFood
MrSpeedy

What are the advantages of shopping online?

Convenience

The primary reason why people shop online is convenience. You can shop regardless of where you are and pay online using your credit card, bank transfer, online payment system, or pay offline via their partner payment centers. Once an item is purchased and paid for, all you have to do is wait for it to be delivered to your home.

Saves Time

If you’re a person who’s busy with your respective work, then you will love shopping online as your focus on your day to day professional activities will not be disturbed by the need to buy your daily essentials.

You don’t have to travel anymore to where the shops or malls are located and you don’t have to endure the worsening traffic in the metro just to be able to buy something.

Saves Money

It’s easier to compare prices when you shop online. Imagine if there are no online shops, you will have to go to various stores just to check the prices and it will surely eat up so much time not to mention that it’s very tedious and tiring to do. Now, all you have to do is to open various websites to see which one is offering the best value for your money.

You won’t also have to pay for your transportation cost (jeepney, taxi, or Grab) just to be able to go to shopping malls to buy whatever you need since items bought online are delivered directly to your home or office.

What are the disadvantages of shopping online?

Possible Delay with Delivery

This often happens during holidays when there’s a big surge in the usual number of deliveries. It also happens during there’s a typhoon when there’s a big challenge in transportation in some areas due to floods. If you’re buying something that you need urgently, I highly suggest that you opt for same-day delivery or opt for the meetup option if it’s available.

Possible Issue with Sizing

With the traditional store, you will have the chance to fit the dress or the jeans before taking it to the counter for payment. With online shopping, you need to be very careful with understanding how your preferred merchant does their sizing. If you’re buying a second-hand garment or shoes, it’s best to ask for the actual size as used items tend to expand or shrink due to wear and washing.

Possible Issue with Payment

If you’re making a payment via bank deposit always make sure that you keep your receipt so you can always refer to that if in case the seller claims that they have not received the payment yet. Most of the time, deposits are reflected in real-time, however, in some cases such as with a fully digital banking system, there’s a time frame on when the payment will appear on the receivers’ end especially if you made the transfer on a weekend.

Safety Tips for Buying Online

Buy from Secured Websites Only

Only buy from websites with secure websites. These websites use HTTPS instead of HTTP. If you want to check, just go to the address bar of the browser that you’re using and click on their URL.

Only Transact in Places with Secure Internet Connection

Do not buy online if you’re using public WiFis or WiFis at cafes. When you buy online and pay online, you will be typing in your credit card information and if you’re doing this in an unsecured place, then someone might get hold of this information.

Check Your Credit Card Transaction History

If you used a credit card to pay for an item, always check your credit card via the website or via the app to see if what’s reflected is the same amount that you paid for. If there’s any discrepancy with the amount, do not hesitate to inform your credit card provider and the merchant where you bought the item from.

Just bear in mind though, that sometimes, it does not reflect real-time and it will take hours and sometimes days before a credit card purchase/payment appears on your credit card list of transactions.

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Do Not Save Your Info in Your Browser

When you’re filling out an online form, your browser will sometimes ask if you want to save your username and password. Sometimes, depending on your settings, it will automatically be saved if you are opt-in. So be sure to check your browser settings to turn this feature off. Auto-Fill is convenient, however, it can be prone to Phishing.

If you are using Safari, just click on Safari on the Menu and then click on Preferences. A pop-up box will appear, just click on Auto-fill and uncheck those boxes.

If you are using Google Chrome, just go to Settings, and then under Auto-Fill, you will see Passwords, Payment methods, and Addresses, and more. Click on each of those and turn them off.

Buy from Reputable Sellers

If you are buying online from online marketplaces such as eBay and Carousell, always check the feedback rating of the seller. The feedback rating is placed to help buyers gauge the trustworthiness of a seller.

I’m not saying that sellers without feedback are not trustworthy. There are also a lot of sellers who are great but they probably are new to the website or to the app that’s why they don’t have any feedback yet.

I have bought from sellers in the past with no feedback and luckily, it ended in a successful and safe transaction. I did some due diligence though before confirming the sale.

I asked for additional pictures that they could provide if they really have the item. And for some that I have doubts about, I asked if I could opt for Cash on Delivery.

If you’re a buyer, once you receive an item from a seller, always leave feedback. The feedback system will help keep the marketplace safe for both buyers and sellers and will also help weed out the scammers.

Help Keep Online Shopping Safe

As online shoppers, we can do our part in making online shopping safe for everyone. By doing these small things, we can keep each other safe from possible scams and issues when we shop online.

Leave a Seller/Merchant Feedback: You can do this in various review apps and this will help other buyers decide on which merchant is best. This will also help everyone easily identify the online sellers that are legit.

Getting customer feedback will also help online sellers and merchants improve their services.

Report a Seller: Various online selling app such as Carousell has a reporting tool wherein you can report a seller who’s selling counterfeit products.

Recommend Sellers or Merchants to Your Friends and Family: If you have received awesome service from a seller or from a merchant, do not hesitate to recommend them to your friends and family.

Report to Authorities: If you have been scammed by a seller, do not hesitate to report it to the authorities such as DTI so they could penalize these sellers. (Note: Please consider that before you report any seller, make sure that it’s not an honest mistake or a miscommunication though.

Contact your seller and discuss the issue with them so both of you can work out a solution that will benefit both parties).

Final Thoughts

Online shopping is here to stay especially with the new normal that we’re expecting to happen in the next few months. eCommerce is the future of retail and the list of online shopping websites will just continue to grow.

Have you experienced buying online? How was it? Let me know your thoughts, recommendations, and experience in online shopping in the comment section below. Thanks!