The pandemic has significantly changed people’s lives, especially in terms of shopping. As more consumers choose to stay indoors, they also increasingly turn to online platforms for their needs—a trend that will continue even as retail establishments restart operations. For a booming industry that is fast-growing in markets such as the Philippines and other nations in Southeast Asia, e-commerce has nowhere to go but up.
At this point, one key differentiator for e-commerce players is their customer experience; specifically, an experience that is seamless, engaging, tailor-fit and safe for both shoppers and sellers. For Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, this translates to three significant trends: social (online) interaction, personalization and integration of enhanced operational support.
To succeed in this new economy, Shopee encourages businesses to keep in mind three key things. The first is socialization. Shoppers always enjoy an engaging online shopping experience with Shopee’s in-app features. These include Shopee Live, which allows users to interact with sellers in real-time, as well as Shopee Prizes. Through communities like Shopee Mom’s Club, Shopee also connects like-minded consumers and caters to their needs and offers them even greater savings on these essentials.
The next is personalization, for which Shopee leverages deep learning to identify patterns and insights from users’ browsing and purchasing data. This is essential to make the online shopping experience unique, convenient and enjoyable for each consumer.
Finally, there is integration. Shopee lets consumers enjoy the complete online shopping experience with innovative fundamental operational support, such as integrated payments and a simulated environment for a seamless customer journey. Our integrated logistics infrastructure also allows sellers to focus on growing their sales while delivering a seamless shopping experience for their customers. Shopee continues to widen its network of warehouses and delivery hubs, helping sellers reach more customers no matter where they shop from.
Convenient Payment Solutions with ShopeePay
And to give their customers peace of mind while using their platform, Shopee’s mobile e-wallet, ShopeePay, offers contactless payment solutions. In 2020, Shopee saw the total number of orders completed using its mobile wallets across the region quadruple. The greatest increase recorded in most markets was for users above 50 years old. This is a testament to ShopeePay’s ease of use, given that users in this age group typically find it harder to adapt to digital payments. It also provides users a more convenient way to transfer and withdraw funds, buy load, top-up their e-wallets and pay utility and telecom bills. It even has a Scan & Pay feature for in-store payments in restaurants, gas stations, bookstores and more.
ShopeePay has also introduced Scan to Pay with Shopee Xpress, which lets users pay for their cash-on-delivery orders by scanning the Shopee Xpress delivery rider’s QR code. This additional payment method helps users shift to cashless payment solutions less daunting for consumers and businesses alike. Their growing network of partners such as Puregold, National Bookstore, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and SEAOIL provide users with contactless in-store payments as well.
Finally, with the use of ShopeePay’s Scan & Donate feature, users can easily send their donations to any of the platform’s community partner organizations, such as World Vision, Caritas Manila and Philippine Red Cross.
“We have seen the power of technology to change and uplift livelihoods, particularly when faced with massive disruption in the last year. As e-commerce takes on a greater significance in the lives of Filipinos, we see the greater need and urgency for online platforms like us to step up to provide better products and services to the community,” says Martin Yu, director at Shopee Philippines.
“Through our robust ecosystem, enhanced in-app features, payment methods like ShopeePay and ongoing plans and goals to better serve our users, Shopee will continue to redouble our efforts to help drive the digital transformation of our economy by making e-commerce accessible to everyone.”
