The Philippine e-commerce industry is slowly but surely dominating the digital space. According to studies as early as 2015, 9 out of 10 Filipinos prefer the convenience, deals, and prices they get from online shopping. On average, a Filipino e-commerce user spends about 6.2 hours on online shopping daily.
Currently, there are about 37.75 million e-commerce users in the Philippines. This is predicted to increase to 53.8 million by 2022. With this in mind, top e-commerce companies in the Philippines are taking advantage of this growing interest by launching promotions and campaigns to further boost sales and leads.
However, there are those who continue to rule the e-commerce space with the use of SEO so their businesses stay on top of the organic search. Here are some of the strategies businesses may use to propel growth and profit:
1. Lazada Philippines
Lazada has cemented its reputation of being the leading online shopping mall, not just in the Philippines but in Southeast Asia. It has pioneered the e-commerce industry in the region by providing its consumers with a wide variety of products and multiple payment methods.
For the third quarter of this year, Lazada Philippines has garnered about 35,619,900 monthly website traffic. Despite its lead in the industry, it has consistently launched aggressive marketing campaigns to drive sales, such as huge monthly sales. The company’s most recent one-day sale, the 11.11 shopping festival, was reported to have record-breaking sales, with 1,141 Lazada sellers earning at least P1 million.
Today, Lazada Philippines continues to make headway with its marketing initiatives such as live-streaming events. According to a Lazada spokesperson, this aims to invoke a “See now. Buy now.” reaction to consumers. With this, the e-commerce giant was able to engage consumers with its “shoppertainment” strategy. Oftentimes, they invite over known celebrities and influencers to seal the deal.
2. Shopee
While newer to the game, Shopee has impressively climbed its way to second place with its catchy ads and tempting deals. The platform has over 300,000 active sellers (as of September 2018), has reaped more than 18 million website traffic, and has 21 million mobile downloads (both iOS and Android).
Shopee’s Regional Marketing Head Agatha Soh has attributed the company’s growth to prioritizing a great mobile experience for consumers and localizing their marketing efforts. Shopee created events and shows and has tapped several known personalities, such as BlackPink and the Korean boy group GOT7, which effectively engaged users and boosted sales.
Apart from this, Shopee has incorporated a value-added system called Shopee guarantee, where the company withholds payment until receipt of order. This is the company’s way of protecting its users from any fraudulent transactions. With this, Shopee users are assured of an easy and safe online shopping experience.
3. Zalora
What makes Zalora part of the top is its partnership with global fashion brands such as Mango and Adidas, as well as local labels like the___edit. The Southeast Asian e-commerce company, with 1.53 million monthly website traffic, has made it possible for users to enjoy various marketing promotions, like flash sales and discounts, without the hassle of going to the mall. In their most recent reports, Zalora earned as much as US$116.6 million. That’s P5.93 billion when converted.
4. Carousell
Following its merger with OLX Philippines, Carousell has claimed itself as the all-in-one preloved marketplace in the Philippines. According to Carousell Philippines General Manager Raffy Montemayor, bringing together both companies has made Carousell a bigger marketplace for its users. It places 4th on the list with its estimated 930,000 monthly web traffic.
5. eBay
Seeing its potential in the e-commerce industry, the worldwide leading e-commerce company eBay has expanded its reach to the Philippines. With its reputation, of course, it wasn’t hard for the site to reach the top five. Today, it has a monthly traffic of 880,000 on its website.
The e-commerce giant is ensuring its position in the Philippine e-commerce industry by opening up the platform to Filipino SMEs. eBay Southeast Asia’s Head of Strategy and Operations Kevin Kwan explains the platform has been tailored to fit the demand of the Filipino market. Moreover, he hinted of bigger things to come its users.
6. Globe Online Shop
Functioning under one of the largest telecom companies in the Philippines, Globe Online Shop offers an easy online platform for consumers to avail mobile devices, plans, apparel, and more. The site has made it more convenient for users to avail of Globe’s services, which is apparent with its 840,000 monthly web visitors.
The Globe Online Shop has launched various marketing promotions such as gadget sales, discounts, and promos such as pre-orders and installment plans for the new iPhone 11.
7. Metrodeal
When it comes to coupons, deals, and promotions for establishments, Metrodeal has made a name for itself. Founded by Ralph Manalo Wunsch in 2011, the company is still one of the top e-commerce sites in the Philippines, accumulating around 770,000 site visitors.
Because of its ability to determine its market’s demands, it was able to expand to Indonesia and Thailand.
8. Beauty MNL
Beauty MNL was established in 2014 and is now the most visited youngest local e-commerce with 590,000 site visits every month. While the competition was fierce, with Sephora and other beauty-focused sites entering the Philippine e-commerce industry, the company has stayed on top of its game.
Beauty MNL does this by publishing local content daily through Bloom, the company’s own magazine. It has also invested in social media marketing, which has helped it keep its place as top of mind for beauty and skin care needs.
9. Argomall
Carrying authentic and branded electronics and accessories, Argomall is a famous online platform for tech geeks. Despite its lack of aggressive marketing campaigns like other top e-commerce companies on the list, the site still has about 570,000 visits every month.
Chief Argonaut Karel Holub says, “We build relationships with each of our customers.” With trust as their primary value proposition, Argomall focuses on giving the best customer journey for their users.
10. Galleon.Ph
The specialty of Galleon.Ph is selling products that aren’t available in the Philippines. It aims to redefine shopping by making hard-to-find products more searchable and accessible. It also promises a payment channel that its users trust, which is why they have an average of 230,000 site visitors a month.
It isn’t easy to stay on top of the e-commerce industry. With new players entering the e-commerce industry, companies must keep on innovating and strategizing compelling marketing campaigns to help avoid climbing down their ranks.
If you’re a small business looking for ways to improve, check out this article to learn how you can establish your online presence and start climbing the ranks.
