SPECIAL COLUMN
Going Online in
the Philippines
I was fortunate to be invited at
the E-Commerce CEO Forum a
few months ago to share new
trends on the online market in
the country. Let me share
some of the data I shared
during the event, which was
attended by some of the
most-forward looking speakers
and companies across Asia
and the globe.
Image source: www.8rbtna.com.com
According to Datareportal survey, there are 76
million internet users and active social media
users in the country. We spend an average of
10 hours and 2 minutes browsing the internet
and 4 hours and 12 minutes on social media.
Most of the time, Filipinos go online to search
for products or visit online stores.
While online shopping is fast becoming
popular in the country, it still has not
dominated retail sales. Currently, online
shopping comprises just about 2% of the total
retail sales in the country, and lags behind
compared to its Southeast Asian neighbors.
But is expected to grow by 5-7% in the next
few years.
There are at least 37.7 million e-commerce
users in the country in 2018 from the 30.2
million estimated in 2016. The number is
expected to grow to 53.8 million by 2022.
In terms of sales, Statista said that the
Philippine e-commerce market revenue grew
to $840 million or about P44 trillion in 2018
from $688 million or about P36 trillion in
2017. Revenue is expected to grow about
10.5% annually.
Retailers Going Digital
For those planning to venture into online
retailing, Datareportal notes that the country's
largest segment is travel and accommodation
at $3.54 billion, followed by electronics and
media, which garnered $234 million,
followed by fashion and beauty products with
$203 million, and furniture and appliances
with $148 million earnings in 2018.
President, Philippine
Retailers Association &
SEVP-COO, Wilcon Depot
Whether online or offline,
always think: Customer First
With the influx of a large quantity of
innovations, retailers may get excited about
new strategies, but you must ask yourself first
if this will benefit your customers and will
make your business operations more
efficient—thereby benefiting them.
We cannot stress customer centricity even
more at this time, when they have the
information at their fingertips. So, whether
you want to go online, focus on your digital
campaigns, etc. as always, it is about the
consumer.
The Philippine
Online Shopping
Landscape
We have an interesting state in
terms of online engagement
and actual online shopping. The Philippines
has some of the most active online users in
Asia, particularly for online research and
social media activities. As a result, many
consumers are now also making their
purchases online.
by Rosemarie Ong
Know your customer and
anticipate their needs
With
the
growing
preference of
the consumers
to shop
online, we
need to think
of new ways how
we can continue to
be relevant to the
consumers—whether online
or offline.
Wilcon for instance, may be late in the
online store caravan, but we have finally
decided to venture into online shopping and
launched the Wilcon online store
(https://shop.wilcon.com.ph/) early this year to
deliver better product offering and customer
satisfaction and service.
BOPIS Or Deliver
The online store offers two modes of getting
your purchased items: BOPIS and Via
Delivery. BOPIS or “buy online, pick up in
store,” allows you to still examine the
products at a Wilcon branch near you. Not all
of our 35,000 active SKUS of Wilcon products
will not be available online, and we are
introducing a few thousand SKUs online and
will focus on Wilcon exclusive and private
label brands.
Moving forward, any brands can start their
online journey by planning ahead, and here
are some tips I want to share in any develop-
ment project you want to take on:
Moreover, with the Filipino consumers
being a top mobile user across Asia, we
should leverage on technology to learn
more about the digital imprints. Social
media is one of the most powerful
tools you can use to reach and
understand your customers.
This time, it’s not about getting or
collecting the data anymore. If
you have data, you have to use
this to learn more about what
your customers want and need. Be
proactive.
Experience is everything
Give your consumers a good experience
because they are willing to pay for it. At a
time when consumers have limitless shopping
choices, both offline and online, experiences
are the new currency. Consumers want more
than just to shop for what they need – they
want to discover new products, be
entertained, and even engage with the
community and friends.
Good customer service that shows extra care
and kindness to the customers is what makes
people come back to your store. In terms of
online, great customer experience can be
translated to efficient delivery service and
flexible payment terms.
In this dynamic industry, with disruptions
coming from all corners, it is important to
always have a collaborative and innovative
mindset. whether you are an offline or online
retailer, remember that excellent customer
experience and service is the key to drive
people to your store and keep them. You do
not need to focus on your competitor, rather
learn to anticipate the needs of your customer,
and to sum it all, a very timely quote I read
says: “Your competitor will not kill you, the
future will.”
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