FOR many Filipinos, online shopping proved to be a boon during the pandemic. With the world returning back to normal, Lazada is ironing out strategies to maintain its pandemic shopping wave.
“I think it’s all about customer experience and how people feel when they buy online,” Carlos Barrera, CEO of online e-commerce platform Lazada Philippines, told BusinessWorld. “The habits have already been built, but we need to continue innovating to offer a better service, and improve how customers feel. We spend so much to make sure that we can deliver faster than anyone,” he said.
“E-commerce in the Philippines continues to grow. We think it will expand to meet other countries, like the penetration you have today in China, or Korea, or even Europe. What’s important is to cater to more people, to continue onboarding more customers, and to serve your sellers and your brands well,” he said.
Fast deliver is one of the reasons that actress Anne Curtis shops on the platform, she said during a press conference last Friday in Makati.
The actress and television host was chosen as the official face for the platform’s 11.11 sale.
Mr. Barrera said during the event, “We have always wanted three things. We knew that we wanted someone who was a businesswoman, who has that drive to always succeed. Then we wanted a mom that was also successful. And then, beautiful, fashionable, and trendy, because that’s what we are all about. There was only one option.”
For her part, Ms. Curtis said that the most recent item she purchased from Lazada was a Halloween costume for her child, Dahlia (whom she raises with her husband, fellow celebrity, and entrepreneur Erwan Heussaff). She also spoke about her attraction to the platform: “For me, most important ‘yung fast shipping. As fast as three days on Lazada, you can get your items.”
She gave a few tips for online shopping: waiting for sale days, shopping around different sellers, and reading reviews. She also noted that “It helps if sometimes, it’s straight from LazMall, so you can be sure,” she said in a mixture of English and Filipino.
The Lazada 11.11 sale will run from Nov. 11 to 13, with deals from BLK Cosmetics, Maybelline, Kiehl’s, and all across the platform. — JL Garcia
