Singapore – With most Singaporeans turning to online services to suit their lifestyle, ComfortDelGro has partnered up with leading e-commerce Lazada to house its taxi services in an additional platform. The tie-up is a first-of-its-kind in the country and will offer its shoppers taxi bookings within the app.

The partnership aims to provide an integrative app experience to shoppers, allowing them to conveniently book cabs while browsing and shopping. Lazada believes that the new offering in the app will bolster its reputation as a one-stop destination for customers’ daily needs. With ComfortDelGro Taxi, meanwhile, it expects to expand its reach by tapping into Lazada’s wide customer base, particularly the younger demographic of shoppers.

As part of the partnership, there will be a six-month-long promotion that gives Lazada shoppers 4% off all ComfortDelGro taxi booking trips. Customers can also enjoy greater savings by purchasing and redeeming rides booked through Lazada using promotional codes from the ComfortDelGro LazMall store.

According to James Chang, the CEO of Lazada Singapore, they are excited to be the first and only e-commerce platform in Singapore to offer customers taxi-booking services within a shopping app, and through ComfortDelGro Taxi, a familiar and trusted homegrown taxi operator no less.

“This will enrich the shoppertainment experience for customers who are already browsing, playing games, and watching live streams on the app, and with the added convenience of booking taxis, customers can utilize one app to shop, play and travel. We look forward to a successful partnership with ComfortDelGro Taxi, to explore more value-adding services that our shoppers appreciate,” said Chang.

Meanwhile, Ang Wei Neng, the CEO of ComfortDelGro Taxi, commented, “It has always been our aim to have our taxi booking services within reach of shoppers. What better way to do it than to have our booking services readily accessible through the Lazada app, one of the most popular platforms today. We hope that shoppers will find the experience – from shopping to traveling – a seamless one.”

Lazada shoppers can start booking taxis by clicking the ‘ComfortDelGro’ tab on the e-commerce app.

Just very recently, ComfortDelGro has also launched its first-ever ‘one-stop’ lifestyle and mobility app called ‘Zig’, which enables its users to book taxis, plan journeys, and find deals, as well as make dining reservations, among others.

Singapore – As e-commerce platform Lazada nears its ninth birthday celebration, it has announced a star-studded Lazada ‘Super Party’ concert this year, boasting a performance guest list which includes global singer-songwriter Katy Perry and K-pop boy group NCT Dream.

The Lazada Super Party is set for simulcast on 26 March across six countries in Southeast Asia to kick off Lazada’s ‘Surprise Birthday Sale’ on 27 March. Consumers across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam can tune in to the Lazada Super Party concert via Lazada’s in-app livestream channel LazLive, as well as local broadcasting networks and social media platforms. 

Centered around the theme ‘Everyday Heroes’ , Lazada said this year’s concert not only pays tribute to frontline essential workers that have been working tirelessly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, but also shines the spotlight on individuals in the community who have in their own ways touched the lives of people around them.

According to Chun Li, chief executive officer at Lazada, the e-commerce’s ninth birthday aims also to recognize positive impacts made by every individual in their community, including sellers, brands, and customers.

“Lazada has grown into the robust e-commerce platform, thanks to the strong support and trust that our sellers, brands, customers, and partners have given us over the years. We are excited to continue setting the benchmark for the e-commerce industry, by propelling entrepreneurs and brands forward in their digital transformation journey, and serving consumers through a safe, convenient, and experiential shopping journey,” Li stated.

Meanwhile, Mary Zhou, chief marketing officer at Lazada commented, “I’m delighted for global superstars like Katy Perry and NCT Dream, as well as Southeast Asia’s biggest names, join us in this year’s celebrations dedicated in honor of individuals and communities who have stood strong and resilient in the past year. I look forward to the opportunity for Lazada to bring joy to consumers in Southeast Asia through our annual signature Lazada Super Party concert and Birthday shopping event, and that our community will remain hopeful for the future.”

Part of the star-studded lineup as well are artists Agnez Mo, Raisa and 3 Diva from Indonesia, Haqiem Rusli and Ismail Izzani from Malaysia, Mimiyuuuh and Alden Richards from the Philippines, Jasmine Sokko and Nathan Hartono from Singapore, “Bella” Ranee Campen and Da Endorphine from Thailand, as well as Ha Anh Tuan, Tran Thanh and Den from Vietnam.

In a statement, Katy Perry said, “Thank you for supporting and loving me all this time. I am excited to meet you soon at the Lazada Super Party, to hopefully spread a little light, love and joy and have everyone sing along with me, even if we are physically apart. I wish for Lazada to help all of their customers as they need, and for everyone to always look on the bright side of life.”

Other in-show events slated include Lazada’s signature Shoppertainment segments like ‘Voucher Rain’, as well as ‘Guess It!’ and ‘Shake It!’ in different countries where viewers can win vouchers and exclusive giveaways, as a prelude to Lazada’s Surprise Birthday Sale that can be utilized on 27 March.

In addition, Lazada consumers will also be able to get their hands on a new ‘Happy Cake’ game on LazGames. Users gain points by simply opening gift boxes, completing daily tasks, and stacking nine cake levels to win rewards such as platform vouchers. Furthermore, shoppers can also redeem additional shopping rewards through Lazada Bonus, a special shopping allowance that can be used platform-wide on participating products marked with the Lazada Bonus badge and is stackable with other promotions. 

Singapore – Singapore-headquartered e-commerce platform Shopee retains its leadership as the most-visited e-commerce site in the Southeast Asia region in 2020, followed by similarly Singapore-born e-commerce Lazada, the newest report from e-commerce aggregator iPrice showed.

In the latest report that is in partnership with SimilarWeb and Appsflyer, Shopee topped the ranks, garnering on average 281,385,626 visits on the platform. In 2019, similarly earning the top spot Shopee had a total combined regional traffic of 2,061,511,094 on the platform.

Lazada is the second most-visited e-commerce platform, with a total average visit of 137,154,967 in 2020, where in 2019, it recorded total regional traffic of 1,843,848,694, likewise trailing Shopee. 

Meanwhile, Indonesia e-commerce platforms Tokopedia and Bukalapak ranked third and fourth respectively, each of them garnering on average 88,889,000 and 35,728,425 platform visits respectively, compared to their total visits of 906,032,258 and 646,348,016 in 2019 respectively.

Thegiodidong, a Vietnamese e-commerce platform, ranked five on the list, with an average 28,650,650 visits last year, in comparison to its 351,327,843 total visits in 2019.

The other platforms in the list saw some changes in the ranking, as Vietnamese e-commerce Sendo.vn dropped two ranks from its sixth rank in 2019 to being in the eighth rank in 2020. Meanwhile, Vietnamese e-commerce Tiki and Indonesia e-commerce Blibli moved one step higher than Sendo this time, garnering the sixth and seventh places respectively. 

Three brands, namely Singapore’s Qoo10, Indonesia’s JD ID, and fashion e-commerce site ZALORA, failed to be in the final list of top 10 key players in 2020 despite showing relevance in the second and fourth quarter of 2020.

Singapore – E-commerce platform Lazada has announced its first-ever local ambassador in Singapore, choosing celebrity Michelle Chong to represent the brand in the country. The company said this is part of the platform’s continued strategy to engage more with younger shoppers and promote Lazada’s key campaigns.

The ambassadorship will see Chong connect with various audience demographics, and hype brand campaigns in Singapore, starting with Lazada’s ninth birthday celebration on 27 March until the ‘9.9 Big Sale’ in September. 

Michelle Chong is a multi-hyphenate and a ‘familiar face’ in Singapore’s entertainment industry, serving as a producer, writer, director, actress as well as a local entrepreneur who is known for her ability to create memorable TV characters, such as Barbarella, The Noose, and popular online personalities such as Ah Lian, as well as school girl Chiang Ying Wen, among others.

During Chong’s key campaign promotions, she will introduce her three popular characters, namely Ah Lian, Chiang Ying Wen, and Sonia, whom local audiences are familiar with. Lazada believes that this strategy will help them better connect with all consumers on the platform, from households to young millennials and Gen Z shoppers, who shop for daily essentials and quality goods from LazMall and RedMart. 

The engagement activities will cover various touchpoints, including radio and television broadcast, outdoor media, and social media platforms on Lazada Singapore, as well as Chong’s own platforms, and Lazada’s live streaming channel LazLive.

Commenting on her ambassadorship, Chong said that being Lazada’s first local ambassador is a dream come true for her and expressed that she is honored to be associated with such a forward-thinking brand that has great taste and foresight.

Meanwhile, the Chief Marketing Officer of Lazada Singapore, Wook Kwon, said that the company is thrilled to have Chong as Lazada’s first ambassador in Singapore, saying that Michelle is one of the nation’s top comedic talents, and easily the most recognizable female comedic actress in the country, having created memorable characters that have resonated with a diverse audience.

“She will be able to effectively reach the younger generation with a relatable sense of humor, which ties in well with our strategy to connect more with shoppers on LazMall and RedMart as well. Beyond that, she has built a successful career and business for herself, and shares the same entrepreneurial spirit that Lazada supports,” said Kwon.

Furthermore, Kim Hoon, business development director of entertainment agency Left Profile, said, “We are excited about this collaboration and are humbled by Lazada’s recognition of Michelle’s talent and versatility in creating and personifying characters that entertain and touch different strata of audiences.”

Singapore – E-commerce platform Lazada hosted today its inaugural ‘Lazada Forward Women Awards’ 2021 in Singapore, to honor six outstanding women across the Southeast Asia region, who were thought to have formed new paths through the e-commerce space and have showcased resilience and innovation in their journeys as entrepreneurs. 

The event was live-streamed to viewers in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam on the Lazada LazLive channel. It featured guest performers like Malaysia’s rap darling, Zamaera, and Singapore’s very own funny woman, Sharul Channa in celebration of International Women’s Month.

The inaugural Lazada Forward Women Awards 2021 comprise three award categories, namely the Creative Seller Award, Enterprising Seller Award, and Inspiring Seller Award. 

Among the first-six award recipients are Singapore’s Anne Ong of Anne’s Secret Recipes and Vietnam’s Pham Thi Xuan Hong of PinkShopGiayDep, where both took the ;’Creative Seller Award’.

Meanwhile, Philippines’ Georgianna Carlos of Fetch and Thailand’s Lalilla Thamnita of AggieHome earned the ‘Enterprising Seller Award’.

And lastly, for the ‘Inspiring Seller Award’, Indonesia’s Hanna Suhardi of Shopping Shoes and Malaysia’s Annie Chia of NLWK Florist won.

During the awards ceremony, Chun Li, the chief executive officer of Lazada Group, commented that he is honored to be around inspirational women today. 

“You found interesting and unique ways to leverage the Lazada platform to not only establish your online business but also to engage customers and build a niche following while uplifting the lives around you. Lazada is proud to be your partner and have the opportunity to be part of your successful journey,” said Chun Li.

As part of the Awards presentation ceremony, he also joined in a lively discussion moderated by Virginia Tan, the founding partner of Teja Ventures and co-founder of She Loves Tech, with panelist Ayesha Khanna, the CEO of Addo.ai, on the topic of ‘Growing Women Entrepreneurship in Southeast Asia: Current Challenges and Opportunities’.

Singapore – As the pandemic forced businesses to shift to online, retail company FJ Benjamin (FJB) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with e-commerce platform Lazada Singapore to boost its brands’ online-offline (O2O) retail experience e. The partnership aims to optimize regional online sales, as well as to expand and develop new FJB brands, to eventually integrate brick-and-mortar and virtual stores.

The signed MOU will see Lazada managing the full online ecosystem of FJB brands, developing new tailor-made solutions to deliver an excellent omnichannel customer experience for FJB brands in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The parties will also discuss with brand principals the opportunities for e-commerce in markets where Lazada has a presence, such as Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines. 

Besides operating principal branded sites, it is also intended to host certain brands on LazMall as well as other regional sites, subject to principal approvals.

Group CEO of FJ Benjamin, Nash Benjamin, commented that the retail company has been strategizing and planning its omnichannel business model for some time now.

“This partnership with Lazada is intended to get us to where we want to be much faster and in a more cost-efficient manner. This will combine our respective capabilities to strengthen customer experience across brick and mortar and virtual channels,” said Benjamin.

Meanwhile, the CEO of Lazada Singapore, James Chang said that they are thrilled to be part of a new chapter with FJ Benjamin, valuing their trust in Lazada. Chang further shared that lifestyle, fashion and beauty are important pillars in their e-commerce plans and shoppers can now look forward to seeing more well-known brands and labels on their platform, for an integrated shopping experience.

“In the last year, Lazada has supported many businesses that adopted a multichannel approach to set up stores online and we know that our expertise in the e-commerce space will benefit and contribute to the success of a renowned brand like FJ Benjamin, and look forward to seeing positive results with them,” added Chang.

Last year’s lockdown forced FJB stores in Southeast Asia to close down, which led the company to turn to e-commerce. It has ramped up its online presence from one brand, the cult British fashion label Superdry, to almost all its brands including Guess, La Senza, Casio, Rebecca Minkoff, Pretty Ballerinas, Airfree, and Dr. Barbara Sturm. Some of the brands managed by FJB are already available on Lazada’s premiere shopping platform, Lazmall, such as La Senza, Pretty Ballerinas, and Petunia Pickle Bottom.

The press release shared that under the terms of the MOU, both FJB and Lazada will, within 90 days, work on a detailed action plan and a definitive agreement to move the partnership forward.

Manila, Philippines – The Philippine arm of e-commerce platform Lazada has announced that Philippine pop group SB19 is the brand’s newest brand ambassador in the country.

The all-boys group, composed of five members Sejun, Stell, Josh, Justin, and Ken, will join existing Lazada brand ambassadors actress Kathryn Bernardo, and social media star Jeremy Sancebuche, also known as ‘Mimiyuuuh’.

The group SB19 is known for their tracks “Alab”, “Go Up” and “Hanggang Sa Huli”.

“We are very honored and happy to now be part of the Lazada family. We are truly grateful for the opportunity to represent the brand we truly admire,” SB19 stated in Lazada Philippines’ press statement.

The new brand ambassadors will premiere on Lazada Philippines’ ongoing campaign #NasaLazadaYan, where they will join fellow brand ambassador Mimiyuuuh on January 20 for the launch of Lazada Philippines’ music video of the campaign.

“With their vibrant, encouraging, and unique individual personalities, SB19 definitely lends their energetic and fresh youth to our already dynamic roster of Lazada Ambassadors in the Philippines. We hope that our customers would also be inspired by the band’s enthusiasm and passion,” said Neil Trinidad, Lazada Philippines’ chief marketing officer

The newest marketing campaign encourages online shoppers of the platform to shop conveniently for the best products, price points, brands, and sellers through Lazada’s smart ranking where suggested products are ranked based on the preference and experiences of millions of shoppers, as well as Lazada’s unique personalization technology where relevant products are recommended based on the shopper’s search behavior.

“With shopping behaviors of Filipinos dramatically shifting online since the onset of the pandemic, Lazada remains committed to providing the best service and shopping experience to our customers. With Nasa Lazada Yan, we want to provide Filipinos the ease of finding what they need to tackle their to-do lists all with the help of the Lazada app,” Trinidad added.

Manila, Philippines – In the Philippines, no one has yet braved to give top e-commerce platforms Shopee and Lazada a run for their money, but that just might soon change. 

Raffy Tulfo, one of the country’s most popular broadcast journalists and public affairs personalities, has launched his own e-commerce platform. 

Officially unveiled in December through a digital press launch, Tulfo’s platform ‘Idol Shopping Network’, shortened as ISN, aims to create a marketplace where the safety of both buyers and sellers are of utmost priority.

According to a report by Manila Bulletin, ISN is actually owned by Tulfo’s kids, where Tulfo and his wife are just acting as ‘support system’ to the business.

Idol Shopping Network’s logo. Screengrab from YugaTech.

Despite only standing in as a ‘supporter’, it seems the new e-commerce platform is set to embody Tulfo’s branding of ‘safe’ and ‘lawful’ transactions. 

Tulfo is mostly known as a hard-hitting, no-holds-barred commentator and champion of the poor who has several public service programs under his belt – long-running radio program WANTED SA RADYO (Wanted in radio) and noontime newscast IDOL IN ACTION – both of which have Tulfo acting as a mediator for any grievances and complaints of injustice from the public. 

Tulfo during one of the live broadcasts of his radio program on his YouTube channel.

According to Manila Bulletin, the broadcaster shared that while he himself hasn’t experienced any inconveniences or fraud with shopping platforms, he has received many e-commerce-related complaints on his radio show and television program.

“For example, customers would order peanuts but they would receive popcorn. Problems like that,” said Tulfo. 

In November, the Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) revealed that a total of 14,869 complaints have been made against online shops in 2020, where ninety percent involve the more familiar platforms Shopee and Lazada. 

With ISN putting a premium on safe transactions, Tulfo said the platform would run a one-of-a-kind system that would ensure products are safe from the seller down to the rider and buyer. 

A report by Philstar shared the said process. In an exclusive interview, Tulfo revealed that ISN will be both lenient and strict to sellers – the e-commerce platform welcomes sellers with zero capital, where sellers only need to put out their goods, provided the merchandise passes quality control standards by ISN. 

Tulfo said merchants will be well-screened, where the selection process will be “long and strict,” where rather just simple photos, products must be seen live by ISN.  

To further ensure the process is a hundred percent safe, a little effort will also be required by customers. Tulfo shared that customers must sign a contract agreeing to be videoed and photographed while opening the package from the courier. They will also be asked to sign a document stating the product is the right one and is sent in good condition, and if otherwise, the customer need not pay for the order.

Tulfo shared that his long-term plan for ISN is to subsidize a school out of its profits, where earnings will go to such basic expenses as employee pay, maintenance, and others.

Upholding the character of fairness he is most known for, Tulfo promises that he will welcome buyer complaints on his own ISN’s products. 

Manila, Philippines – Philippine telco Globe’s SME service myBusiness will be running a “Gift Local” e-Bazaar on Lazada, creating an opportunity for select SME merchants to do live-selling.  

The e-bazaar will take place from November 27 to 29, and aside from Lazada, shoppers can catch the live-selling on Globe myBusiness’ Facebook page every 6 PM during the duration of the e-bazaar opening.

The virtual event is in line with the telco’s ongoing Gift Local campaign, Globe myBusiness’ campaign to promote SMEs in the spirit of Christmas shopping.

“The Gift Local campaign is all about supporting our local entrepreneurs by encouraging Christmas shoppers to buy local products. But this bazaar is unlike any other, because it incorporates the newly launched Globe myBusiness’ Unli Internet Plans, which brings the bazaar experience online for unli enjoyment,” said Alyssa Gil, Globe myBusiness’ segment marketing manager.

Aside from the ongoing e-bazaar campaign, Globe myBusiness is pledging support to the Ayala Foundation’s Brigada ng Ayala by donating 100% of the merchants’ joining fee to the foundation to provide help to disaster-affected areas as well as provide connectivity to public school teachers and students.

Manila, Philippines – With increased online spending during the pandemic also comes a surge of online purchase complaints, and this has been evident in Southeast Asia market The Philippines, with the country’s Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) revealing that a total of 14,869 complaints have been made against online shops this year, according to a report by Philippine News Agency.

The complaints were made from the period of January to October this year, where according to DTI Undersecretary for Consumer Protection Group Ruth Castelo, nature of the complaints spanned violations of the Price Act, the quality of products, and deceptive, unfair, or unconscionable sales acts or practices.

Being the top e-commerce sites in the country, Shopee and Lazada were reported to account for the majority of complaints with a combined 6,907 number of flags.

Compared to the full year of 2019, complaints against Lazada grew three-fold from 1,014 to 3,475 complaints for the first 10 months of 2020. Meanwhile, those against Shopee increased over five times, from 607 complaints from the end of 2019, to a total of 3,432 complaints this year.

“Ninety percent of the total online complaints from October 2020 are against two of the more familiar platforms,” said Castelo.

She added the remaining complaints last month involved transactions on Facebook and other online platforms.

In early October, news about a scammed student astounded Filipinos, where a 20-year-old received rocks instead of his ordered laptop.