Shopee banking for Gen Z to increase sales

MANILA, Philippines — Online marketplace Shopee is banking on Gen Z and improved features to boost sales on the platform this year.

Shopee’s regional marketing manager Huiyan Pan said in an interview on the sidelines of announcing the platform’s new brand ambassador, BINI, which aims to grow sales faster every year.

She said this year’s growth will be driven in part by Generation Z.

“Generation Z is growing up. They have more purchasing power,” she said.

She said a survey by Shopee found that seven in 10 Filipino Gen Zers aged 18 to 24 use e-commerce as their primary shopping touchpoint.

The study also found that Gen Zers are more likely to shop on e-commerce platforms compared to older customers.

Pan said Gen Z’s growing purchasing power and online engagement represent a huge opportunity for brands in the region.

She said Shopee has tapped members of the P-pop group BINI as its new brand ambassadors to appeal to Gen Z shoppers.

“We decided to partner with them so that we can kind of take Shopee to the next level and at the same time connect with their fans,” she said.

Gen Zers aside, Shopee expects the new improvements to boost sales.

Among the new features is the ability for buyers to unpack and inspect a product, if it qualifies for cash on delivery (cash on delivery), before accepting it to ensure it is a valid order.

During product inspection, the driver will witness and facilitate quick and easy returns.

“I think this is another way to make things more seamless and remove the doubts and little barriers that people have had in the past when shopping online,” Pan said.