Shopee, Southeast Asia’s newest smart and secure social mobile marketplace officially launches in the Philippines. Shopee, available for free in Apple App Store and Google Play, boasts a wide range of products and is equipped with a secure payment service and innovative socially-driven features to create a more secure, fun, fast, and easy shopping and selling experience. Currently, it has millions of users across the region.
“Today, a large part of online purchases in Southeast Asia takes place on mobile. With Shopee’s availability here in the Philippines, Filipinos can now fully experience a free, highly intuitive social mobile interface, where anyone can buy and sell in less than 30 seconds, even when on-the-go”, says Terence Pang, Regional Managing Director of Shopee.
For budding entrepreneurs, Shopee also empowers them to be more effective sellers by providing access to millions of consumers at zero cost, with integrated tools to manage inventories and customer relations.
Shopee addresses common issues faced by users on other existing marketplaces such as fraud, transaction risks, and the hassle of face-to-face meetings.
Shoppers can now purchase their favorite products from the app with peace of mind through a secure payment service called Shopee Guarantee this ensures that if products are not received in the previously agreed-upon condition, payment will be refunded to the buyers in full.
Featuring a highly intuitive and user-friendly interface with an in-app Live Chat function, Shopee enables users to shop and communicate at their own convenience. Designed to truly embody a social commerce platform, Shopee integrates social features, including hashtag functions, allowing users to easily search for the most popular trending product or keep up with the latest trends. They will receive updates in real-time similar to any other social media platforms.
Whether it is trendspotting or trendsetting, users will now be able to collectively organize their products and define and own the latest trends happening in the marketplace.
“Shopee brings together individuals who are passionate about online buying and selling,” shares Pang. “Our team aims to create a secure, fun, fast, and easy shopping experience with an integrated social function. With live chat, social sharing, and hashtag features, our platform has brought a truly social marketplace to life.”
Launched in app store last June 2015, Shopee has since accumulated several million active users across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Taiwan, of which, 30 percent are already selling products on Shopee. The platform currently has more than three million product listings, a result of engagements with influencers and retail entrepreneurs.
“With the built-in Live Chat feature, I can communicate with my buyers in an instant, without the need to go outside the app”, says LharineDanan, owner of Rafaela Couture. “Shopee is really impressive! Imagine, you don’t have to pay for anything. It’s way better than any existing marketplace app because it’s so easy and hassle-free to use”, she added.
Pang added, “Individuals often wish to set up their own online shops but lack the know-how. Shopee makes it easy for anyone to list products and manage their inventories, while facilitating financial transactions and delivering products on their behalf. With tools such as the Seller Assistant, Shopee helps everyday individuals sell like a professional retailer and become successful entrepreneurs.
Shopee’s Seller Assistant guides individuals on how to manage their retail businesses on the platform. Sellers can use it to organize inventory and measure store performance they can also easily figure out which products they should restock or offer a discount on to inspire purchase among users.