E-commerce newcomer expects to reach 1M+ users in the Philippines by September

By: Alden M. Monzon @AldenMonzonINQ – 4 minutes ago

New e-commerce platform Shoppedia plans to sign up about one million users by September, one of the first major steps in the company’s journey to becoming the country’s leading online marketplace.

Shoppedia’s chief executive, Neil La-As, told the Inquirer last week that they have more than 10,000 registered users so far on their website. He believes this number is expected to increase significantly when they officially launch the app in September.

“At Shoppedia, what you see is what you get,” he said during a corporate event at the Manila Heritage Hotel, where the company unveiled the latest version of its app.

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La-as, which touts its company as 100% Filipino-owned, expressed its commitment to thoroughly vet each trading partner to avoid trading counterfeit goods on its online platform.

“Every seller at Shoppedia goes through a rigorous vetting process to ensure that our honest customers receive genuine products and real value for their hard-earned money,” La-As said in his speech at the event.

“No more fakes, no more shady sellers, only pure, unadulterated, pure Filipino quality,” he added.

He added that they also have a 24/7 customer service staff who can respond to consumer complaints and other concerns.

“Shopedia offers 24/7 access to agents who are ready to help with any questions or concerns,” La-as said, adding that their goal is to make the customer experience on their platform seamless, stress-free and enjoyable.

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When asked how they plan to cope with the high level of competition and market saturation in the e-commerce industry, La-as replied that there is always room for more competition.

“At the end of the day, competition is healthy. Ultimately, people have to make a choice,” he said.

According to a 2023 study by Google, Temasek and Bain & Company, the Philippines’ internet economy was valued at $7.5 billion in 2020, a figure expected to increase approximately fivefold to $35 billion by 2025.

The same study identified e-commerce, food delivery and video on demand as the three main factors driving the growth of the Philippine internet economy.