Tag: E-commerce platform

Singapore — Klook, a travel and leisure e-commerce platform, alongside the travel search engine company KAYAK, has announced an expanded integration that will enable KAYAK users to access one of the largest inventories of Things-to-Do (TTD) across the Asia-Pacific region.

KAYAK will draw on Klook’s leading supply strength to enable its users to have seamless access to the APAC region’s best TTD. KAYAK users will benefit from a wider range of attractions and experiences as they will now be able to discover over 490,000 activities in over a thousand destinations through Klook on KAYAK’s TTD vertical.

Elia San Martin, VP and GM of KAYAK APAC, said, “We’re excited to be expanding our integration with Klook which will enable KAYAK users to have greater access to an extended variety of attractions and experiences. As travel continues to rebound in the APAC region – we are helping travellers access more travel options than ever before.”

Marcus Yong, VP for global marketing at Klook, commented that they’re delighted to announce this global integration with KAYAK and the enhanced API-connectivity between the two companies will enable the post-pandemic traveller to have seamless access to the best TTD and car rentals globally.

Yong added, “Borders in APAC are gradually opening up as measures ease. This is an opportune time for us to be at the forefront of travel recovery in the region and build on that momentum with KAYAK – especially as it brings more travellers over from the US and Europe to experience joy in Asia.”

Since the integration of car rentals last year, KAYAK users have access to Klook’s car rental coverage that spans over 9000 destinations across 500 vendors, unlocking one of the largest inventories in the Asia-Pacific region.

Singapore — Southeast Asian data-driven loyalty platform Society Pass Incorporated, otherwise known as SoPa, announced its acquisition of Pushkart.ph, an online grocery delivery service in the Philippines as part of its expansion into the market.

Through the buyout, Pushkart.ph has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of SoPa and will leverage the platform’s capital to increase on-demand grocery shopping services to more consumers and more retailers initially to Metro Manila and then to all of the Philippines, while empowering grocery stores and restaurants to transform business models and further tap into online markets.

The announcement comes at a time of accelerated rapid growth for delivery services in the Philippines, with the internet economy expected to increase 24% from US$17b in 2021 to US$40b in 2025. Pushkart.ph is one of the Philippines’ growing e-commerce platforms, with a customer base of over 125,000 registered users, over 35,000 social media followers, and more than 20,000 mobile app downloads.

Dennis Nguyen, founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Society Pass, said that they are excited to combine the robust technology, retail and operational prowess of a high-performance brand like Pushkart.ph with SoPa’s brand-building experience.

“As the Philippine consumer faces tremendous challenges with traditional brick and mortar shopping due to a plethora of hurdles including excessive wait times in traffic/ public transport, SoPa aims to provide viable solutions by providing impetus to the growing e-commerce industry in the country. Given the immense potential of the Philippines market, we are very excited about the opportunities that this acquisition will bring in the upcoming months. In addition, as the Philippines is a cornerstone of SoPa’s VIP (Vietnam, Indonesia, and Philippines) acquisition strategy, I expect to acquire a number of market-leading companies in the Philippines over the next few months,” Nguyen said.

Michael Lim, CEO of Pushkart.ph, commented, “We are very excited to announce our acquisition by Society Pass; this partnership provides us with the opportunity to not only grow our presence in the Philippines but further our lead in the grocery delivery business. We are excited to join the larger SoPa ecosystem which will enable us to harness its integrated marketing and technology proposition while also strengthening our collective senior management resources. We foresee that this will lead to immediate returns in terms of cost optimization and increased revenue generation. With the capital provided by SoPa, Pushkart.ph will now be empowered to provide enhanced end to end solutions to our customers and ensure an amplified market presence.

The data-driven loyalty platform said that they are leveraging technology to provide a more personalised experience for customers in the purchase journey, to help transform the entire retail value chain in SEA. Through the acquisition of growing companies and partnership with visionary entrepreneurs in five distinct verticals: loyalty, lifestyle, travel, food & beverage and merchant software, SoPa expects to meet the region’s growing demand for better and more convenient services.

The acquisition is in line with SoPa’s core vertical focus and facilitates the proliferation of its growth in the Philippines while increasing consumer opportunities and delivering enhanced value. This move will also help tap the increasing digital penetration in the online grocery shopping space in the Philippines market.

In a press release, the SoPa disclosed that the offering of this acquisition is of immense consequence to the end-user with SoPa’s aggressive new plans for Pushkart.ph which include adding more hubs in key cities and regions and increasing its manpower. SoPa aims to expand Pushkart.ph’s technology offering, phenomenally increasing registered users to more than double to over 300,000 and driving app downloads to over 150,000 in 2022. Philippine consumers will be able to use Pushkart.ph app across 19 cities in Metro Manila with a guaranteed next day delivery service.

Singapore – ZALORA, Asian e-commerce fashion brand, announced its partnership with Google to launch Google Ads with ZALORA, a marketing solution that provides brands with a simpler way to drive online sales and performance.

Google Ads with ZALORA will help in the brand growth of businesses by providing sophisticated campaign support connecting them with customers while delivering tools that measure and optimize marketing campaigns.

Tejas Kirodiwal, head of growth at ZALORA, commented on the collaboration, saying that this partnership with Google aligns with ZALORA’s commitment to driving the growth of Asia’s e-commerce industry as it aims to boost brand promotion and success in a competitive online retail landscape.

“As e-commerce becomes increasingly important, Google Ads with ZALORA will work in conjunction with our in-depth industry expertise and other platform service offerings, such as retail intelligence and analytics solution TRENDER, a Data by GFG product, to run targeted and data-driven campaigns that meet business objectives,” Kirodiwal said.

The partnership comes after a string of successful pilot tests conducted during the second half of 2021. 

According to ZALORA, global fashion brand H&M ran shopping campaigns over a 7-week period within Malaysia and showed that Google Ads with ZALORA was effective in driving greater discoverability and traffic for H&M products on ZALORA’s e-commerce site, resulting in a strong return on advertising spend of 6.1x.

Jerome Hamlin, head of industry E-Commerce at Google, commented on the partnership, saying, “This extends on the ongoing efforts between Google and ZALORA to drive digitalisation in businesses. Southeast Asia is entering its ‘digital decade’ with the internet playing an integral part in people’s everyday lives. We’re excited to launch Google Ads with ZALORA to help accelerate e-commerce growth across the region and support brands to tap into the growing pool of digital shoppers.”

This January, ZALORA Malaysia announced their collaboration with conversational AI company Bray Leino Splash to enhance the customer experience of their Community Influencer Program.

Singapore — The Malaysian arm of e-commerce platform ZALORA has tapped digital marketing agency Bray Leino Splash to revamp the user experience of its Community Influencer Program, a reward system for influencers and customers.

ZALORA’s Community Influencer Program encourages influencers and ZALORA customers to endorse and earn via their social media platforms, rewarding them a commission on sales.  Bray Leino Splash was tasked to improve the user experience design of the site and make it easier for interested customers to sign up.

Efrain Lopez, executive creative director at Bray Leino Splash, commented on the steps the agency took, saying that they identified the previous version of the site did not succinctly communicate the USPs of the program hence customers found it harder to sign up right away.

“To this end, we stripped down the design of the site and put up the USPs upfront, & also created a straightforward FAQ section. This was fronted by a neat calculator tool to allow interested customers to calculate how much revenue they could earn simply by keying in the number of followers they had without the need to fill in a web-form,” Lopez said.

According to Zalora, its sign-ups garnered a 150% Increase after the UX revamp. Leonard Chang, regional affiliate marketing lead at ZALORA Malaysia, commented on the optimization of the program.

Chang said, “We have strong confidence in the new look of the program which has now recorded a 150% increase in the sign-up rate and a 90% increase in time spent on the site. This is the first key milestone and we hope to achieve a much better user experience through continuous optimization moving forward.”

Last October, ZALORA Philippines in partnership with Rizal Commercial Banking Corp launched its fashion and lifestyle credit card.

Bangkok, Thailand — Southeast Asian end-to-end e-commerce enablement platform and solutions provider aCommerce announced that it has become the first Shopify Plus partner in Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

The partnership allows both brands and consumers a better overall experience; utilizing the capabilities of Shopify Plus’ fast-to-market and cost-effective platform that enables quicker D2C (Direct-To-Consumer Retail) and the extensive market knowledge, development expertise, and channel operations offered by aCommerce.

Tom Srivorakul, group head of business development at aCommerce, commented on the partnership, saying that the company is thrilled with the Shopify Plus partnership, seeing it as a key solution in the region for many brands looking to extend their sales channels.

“Having a Direct To Consumer initiative will give brands more control over customer engagement, enable loyalty programs, optimize margins, and ownership of all data. aCommerce clients who are adding this Direct To Consumer channel to their existing Marketplaces and Social Commerce will benefit from a unified view of all their e-commerce channels while optimizing their merchandising, marketing, and supply chain,’’ Srivorakul said.

Meanwhile, Neel Bhatt, Southeast Asian head of partnerships at Shopify Plus, commented that Shopify Plus offers a scalable, powerful platform that supports every type of business from fast-growing D2C brands to celebrity entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 firms. Bhatt further added that the company is confident that aCommerce will be able to help Indonesian, Thai, and Filipino brands leverage all that Shopify Plus has to offer to accelerate their future growth.

Last October, Shopify also partnered with global audio streaming platform Spotify to allow artists to create meaningful expansions in music and merchandise with the capabilities of both platforms.

Singapore – As more and more e-commerce brands in Southeast Asia ramping up their presence through frequent platform deals such as the recent ‘9.9 Sales’, these brands in the region are highly incentivized with the use of influencers for their sales campaigns, hence pushing the e-commerce industry in the region to a steadfast growth, latest insights from e-commerce aggregator iPrice shows.

Comparing the latest ambassadors of Lazada and Shopee namely K-pop actor Hyun Bin and international kung fu actor Jackie Chan respectively, the report showed that the senior global star received higher engagement for articles published regarding the collaboration. Jackie Chan’s presence in Shopee’s latest campaign garnered 59 articles published, compared to the 53 articles garnered by Hyun Bin’s Lazada campaign.

Despite that, Hyun Bin’s campaign garnered more engagement in social media, receiving 79% of ‘love’ reactions, 19% of ‘haha’ reactions, and 2% of ‘wow’ reactions. Meanwhile, the study found that Jackie Chan’s campaign garnered 62% of ‘love’ reactions, 21% ‘haha’ reactions, and 17% of ‘wow’ reactions on social media.

“It’s clear to see that influencers play an important role in driving excitement for the upcoming sales period. Thus, key e-commerce companies have enough incentive to involve influencers in their campaigns,” said iPrice. 

Meanwhile, overall web visits among e-commerce platforms across the region have increased by 31% this year from January to June compared to the same time frame last year. By average, overall web visits from the aforementioned period this year clocked in 4 million web visits.

The Philippines experienced the most surge by 73%, followed by Indonesia (41%), Malaysia (34%), Singapore (10%), Thailand (9%), and Vietnam (7%).

Specifically, the top two Singapore-based companies, Shopee and Lazada, experienced an increase of web visits by 56% and 10% in 1H 2021 compared to the same period last year.

In terms of consumer behavior, given the uncertain COVID infection rates, consumers will continue to stay at home, and consequently forego holiday travels and family get-togethers. With that given, it is expected that there will be more opportunities for online shopping. iPrice foresees that Southeast Asian consumers would probably spend an average of US$40 on e-commerce by the end of the year.

Furthermore, the insights found out that there was an increase of 26% in average consumer spending in 2020, when consumers spent about US$32 per e-commerce transaction.

“Most purchases will be directed towards the categories of sports and outdoor, home improvements, and electronics. Lastly, even if consumer spending won’t increase as predicted, online retailers can still expect far more online web visits to their platforms this year,” the company concluded.

Manila, Philippines – As the month of June draws to an end, the observance and celebration of Pride Month is still on a roll in the country, a society that despite the growing movement to recognize the LGBTQIA+ community, still experiences stigma due to the conservative Catholic nature in the country. As a result, many in the LGBTQIA+ community tend to say ‘sorry’ for who they are.

Such is the message the Philippine arm of e-commerce platform Lazada aims to put across in its latest campaign in celebration of Pride Month.

Released as part of its newest short film series ‘Apology’, the first campaign shows three separate instances of members of the LGBTQIA+ community being stared down or perhaps misjudged, prompting them to say ‘sorry’. Then, on a positive note, the campaign shifts to its core message of understanding others, self-acceptance and love.

The film series is directed by esteemed filmmaker, Pepe Diokno.

“We at Lazada Philippines believe that Pride represents values such as inclusion and unity that should be embraced every single day. For 2021, we wanted to continue encouraging Filipinos to do their part in nurturing a culture where diversity is celebrated, inclusion is valued, and respect is championed,” said Neil Trinidad, chief marketing officer at Lazada Philippines.

As part of its Pride Month celebration, Lazada Philippines will bring together and spotlight talented artists from the LGBTQIA+ community through a series of live streamed events with ‘Pride is Alive’ from 23 to 27 June. From a live fashion and drag show to a make-up tutorial session and live talk sessions, consumers can enjoy a series of celebrations with film director Antoinette Jadaone, writer and actor Juan Miguel Severo, chef and author Clyde San Pedro, Cebu fashion designers, and drag queens Eva Papaya, Ms. Letket, Precious, Eken, Turing & Bench.

In addition, Lazada Philippines also teamed up with platform LoveYourself, Inc., to showcase a special Milkwear x LoveYourself Pride Month capsule collection where all proceeds from the sale will benefit LoveYourself, Inc.’s HIV awareness and free-testing projects.

Noel Evasco, head of partnerships at LoveYourself Inc. adds, “We are grateful to have this partnership with Lazada that allows us to not only be able to expand our reach to more people but to also continue spreading the message that now more than ever, we need to do our part in nurturing a culture that allows people to thrive authentically as they are.”

Manila, Philippines – As the Philippine arm of e-commerce platform Lazada celebrates the middle of this year, they have recently appointed Philippine actor Alden Richards as its latest brand ambassador, which coincides with Lazada’s upcoming ‘6.6 Mid-Year Sale’ happening from 6 to 8 June.

Richards, who is recently signed as an actor to Philippine media network GMA, is best known for his multiple roles on Filipino television, including as on-screen partner of Philippine actress Maine Mendoza on the popular TV segment ‘Juan For All, All For Juan’ on noontime show ‘Eat Bulaga’. Aside from his roles on TV series such as ‘Ilustrado’, ‘Victor Magtanggol’, and ‘Destined to be Yours’, he is also a recording artist, entrepreneur, and online gaming streamer.

“I am very grateful to be a part of the Lazada family. I had the opportunity to work with them for their Birthday Super Sale last March, and I loved how everyone was just so excited and engaged. I’m definitely looking forward to this year’s 6.6,” the actor stated.

Meanwhile, Neil Trinidad, chief marketing officer of Lazada Philippines, commented, “We are half-way through the year and as we kick-off our 6.6 Mid-Year Sale with Alden, Lazada wants to turn this shopping festival into an opportunity to re-ignite hope and inspiration. We hope that our customers will continue to celebrate making it this far and finding ways to thrive during a very challenging time.”

Richards joins other local brand ambassadors of Lazada in the current lineup such as local actress Kathryn Bernardo, Philippine pop group SB19, and social media star Mimiyuuuh

The upcoming Lazada 6.6 Mid-Year Sale will allow shoppers in the Philippines to join, play, and stand to win ₱10m worth of vouchers and prizes on Lazada’s ‘6.6 Game-Game Super Show! 6.6 Sa Premyo at 6.6 Sa Saya’ this 5 June at 10:15PM, which will be livestreamed on LazLive on the Lazada app and GMA Network, and will be hosted by the whole lineup of Lazada Philippines’ brand ambassadors.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – To facilitate the global manufacturer to consumer (M2C) commerce in Southeast Asia, Malaysia-based omnichannel e-commerce solution provider Everpeaks® has launched its new integrated logistics platform called Fulfilment by Everpeaks (FBE).

The solution, generally characterized as a duty-free, e-commerce integrated warehousing and fulfilment solution allows global brands to tap into new markets, specifically in Southeast Asia. Furthermore, FBE integrates marketplaces and websites into the FBE System, connecting brand owners and manufacturers directly to consumers, eliminating layers of traditional retail operations and market barriers. 

The new FBE solution’s launch comes in perfect timing as the Southeast Asia e-commerce sector rapidly grows, where from 2015 to 2019, its value in the region increased nearly 600% from US$5.5B in 2015 to US$38B in 2019, research from Google, Temasek Holdings and Bain & Co. The same study also showed that the region’s internet economy is valued at US$100B in 2019, with a forecast of it rising to US$300B by 2025.

FBE operates under a technology platform that provides brand owners and manufacturers with an omnichannel inventory management feature, capable of integration with most e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, Lazada, Shopee, and eBay, among others. It optimizes a total system solution that centralizes orders, tracks inventory, and automates order fulfilment, enabling sellers to create shipping plans, send shipments to the FBE Warehouse, and track shipments.

“The COVID-19 pandemic overhauled consumer purchasing behaviour across the globe, causing e-commerce to rise and drive a permanent shift in fulfilment and warehouse management technology. FBE simplifies end-to-end fulfilment operations, helping businesses grow without logistical restraints as they expand into new markets,” said Joachim Sebastian, founder and CEO of Everpeaks®.

Manila, Philippines – E-commerce platform Shopee is set to launch #TatakPinoy (Filipino branded) Virtual Trade Fair, a virtual fair aiming to promote Filipino brands and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). 

The three-day event which is slated for February 19- 21, is in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and sets the stage for shoppers to discover and purchase local delicacies and pasalubong items from Regions XII and IV-A. They can also anticipate products from Filipina-owned businesses, as Shopee and United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) team up to empower local female entrepreneurs.

Amid the lockdown, Shopee helped physical businesses to transition to digital through its Seller Masterclasses and has previously partnered with DTI, USAID, and local government units in the country for initiatives that helped Filipino entrepreneurs gain a basic understanding of e-commerce and digital marketing. 

DTI’s Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion said in a statement, “The Department of Trade and Industry – Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion is proud to be a partner for #TatakPinoy on Shopee. This initiative will connect thousands of consumers to more than a hundred MSMEs on one platform. We invite Filipinos from all over the country to patronize and take pride in products that are certified #TatakPinoy from the National Trade Fair Pop-up Store and Go Lokal! Shopee Mall.”

Meanwhile, Martin Yu, Shopee Philippines’ director, commented, “Local brands from microbusinesses to SMEs can all contribute to the Philippine economy’s growth. Considering that most local businesses still can’t promote their products outside of online platforms due to the pandemic, Shopee also wants to create the opportunity to showcase the best Filipino brands.”

During the event, exclusive discounts of up to 10% off on supporting Filipino brands such as Colourette, Vice Cosmetics, and Human Nature will be offered to shoppers.