Shopee Launches 12.12 Big Christmas Sale, Celebrates 5 Years of Digital Acceleration in the Region

MANILA, DECEMBER 4, 2020 - Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, wraps up the year-end sales season and marks its fifth birthday by launching its annual 12.12 Big Christmas Sale. Its recent 9.9, 10.10, and 11.11 shopping events set new records and signified the changing landscape and potential of e-commerce in the region. This 12.12, Shopee celebrates five years of digital acceleration in the region and highlights three key trends that have shaped and will continue to drive the growth of e-commerce: Social, Personalization, and Integration. 

Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “Shopee was born with the vision of making online shopping accessible, easy, and enjoyable. We built Shopee from the ground up, listening to people’s specific needs in each of our markets and turning our understanding into well-executed localized strategies that make Shopee what it is today. This year’s 12.12 Big Christmas Sale has added significance as we celebrate our fifth birthday and come together with our brand partners, sellers, and shoppers to support one another through a challenging year. As we look back on our journey, we are proud to have adapted quickly to serve the needs of our local communities.”  

This 12.12, Shopee highlights three key trends that will continue to power the growth of e-commerce in 2021 and beyond.

1. Social: Bringing the human touch to online shopping

Advancements in technology, coupled with changing shopper habits, have resulted in online shopping evolving from a transactional experience. Today’s users are more social than ever, and they demand a more engaging online shopping experience with rich and unique content. In 2016, Shopee was one of the first e-commerce platforms in the region to launch a live chat function, Shopee Live Chat, enabling direct conversations between buyers and sellers. Today, an average of 30 million messages are exchanged daily on Shopee Live Chat.

Through the years, Shopee has continuously improved on and introduced new in-app engagement features such as Shopee Games, Shopee Feed, and Shopee Live to make the online shopping experience more social. Shopee anticipates that this trend will stay, with e-commerce increasingly becoming a platform through which people can connect and enjoy shared experiences. Shopee will continue to drive this trend through unique initiatives like Shopee Mom’s Club, which provides like-minded consumers with one-stop exclusive access to baby product deals and parenting content. There’s also a Book Club for a new generation of digital readers in Vietnam and a “Pawrents” club to meet the growing online demand for pet products in Singapore.

2. Personalization: Catering to the ‘Me’ economy

Personalization is critical in e-commerce today. A highly personalized experience makes online shopping more efficient, enjoyable, and unique for consumers, while also helping brands and sellers drive traffic and growth. Shopee takes a hyper-localized approach by running seven different apps in each of its markets and localizing in-app features. Shopee also continually refines its recommendation engines to offer more customized and relevant shopping suggestions to fit consumers’ needs. 

For brands and sellers, offering personalized recommendations to shoppers helps increase overall awareness and conversions. Businesses that use Shopee's in-app advertisements generate 65% more sales activity than those that do not. This is powered by Shopee's own AI capabilities, which ensure that advertisements are delivered to the right users.

As the industry progresses further into the ‘me’ economy, businesses need to innovate in order to improve the online customer journey. In the coming year, Shopee also expects to see the rise of smart shoppers, a new demographic of young, tech-savvy individuals who expect a highly personalized online shopping experience.

3. Integration: Creating a seamless customer journey

As retailers adapt to the new normal, they must deliver a seamless customer journey across all touchpoints. Shopee helps brands and sellers of all sizes by providing fundamental operational support through integrated payments and logistics, while creating innovative experiences that value-add to the overall customer journey.

• Delivering an experiential home shopping experience with P&G: Together with P&G, Shopee introduced its first-ever experiential online Show Me My Home initiative, which allowed shoppers to discover and shop for P&G’s popular household items in a simulated household environment. This brought greater convenience for stay-at-home consumers, while mimicking the offline experience of walking in a store. 

Yu closed, “2020 has been a transformative year. It has shown us the importance of technology and its ability to not only connect people and meet their basic needs, but also to entertain and engage. We are just at the beginning of our digital journey and looking ahead, we believe e-commerce will have an even more profound impact on businesses and consumers, creating new ways of living, working, and engaging. As we wrap up the year with the 12.12 Big Christmas Sale, let's continue to look out for one another, uplift those in need, and welcome the new year on a high note.”

12.12 Big Christmas Sale 

From November 18 to December 12, users can enjoy free shipping with ₱0 minimum spend, 20% cashback, and ₱1 deals at the Shopee 12.12 Big Christmas Sale. 

Key highlights of Shopee 12.12 Big Christmas Sale: 

• Amazing promotions and big rewards with ShopeePay: From December 3 to December 11, shoppers who use ShopeePay can look forward to free shipping,  discount vouchers, and a chance to win cash prizes.

• #MyShopeeWish TikTok Challenge: Join the #MyShopeeWish TikTok Challenge to win prizes. The #MyShopeeWish TikTok Challenge is from December 7 to 30. Winners will be announced on January 15, 2021 on Shopee’s official social media accounts. For more information, head over to https://shopee.ph/m/my-shopee-wish.

• Big discounts from leading brands: Shoppers can enjoy up to 50% off from leading brands on Shopee Mall, including L’Oreal Paris, P&G Beauty, Abbott, Unilever Home and Food, Havaianas, Nestle, Huawei, Vivo, Pampers, RB Enfagrow, and Infinix.

Additionally, brands such as Unilever, MASS Appliances, Soundcore by Anker, Platinum Karaoke, Union Appliances, Amazfit, Kyowa, PULUZ, Pedigree, Bio-Science, Organic Skin, Shigetsu, Mikana, Organic Official, INSPI, GSK, Tigernu, MetroSunnies, New Balance, Colgate-Palmolive, Haylou, Alaska, and Fila also offer amazing discounts. 

For more information about Shopee 12.12 Big Christmas Sale, visit https://shopee.ph/m/christmas-sale. 

Download Shopee for free on the App Store or Google Play Store.

About Shopee

Shopee is the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. It was launched in 7 markets in 2015 to connect consumers, sellers, and businesses in the region.

Shopee offers an easy, secure, and engaging experience that is enjoyed by millions of people daily. It offers a wide product assortment, supported by integrated payments and logistics, as well as popular entertainment features tailored for each market. Shopee is also a key contributor to the region’s digital economy with a firm commitment to helping brands and entrepreneurs succeed in e-commerce.

Shopee is a part of Sea Limited (NYSE:SE), a leading global consumer internet company. In addition to Shopee, Sea’s other core businesses include its digital entertainment arm, Garena, and digital financial services arm, SeaMoney. Sea’s mission is to better the lives of consumers and small businesses with technology.

Starting a Home-Based Business?

Pasig City, Philippines; December 01, 2020 — Due to limited mobility, local small businesses, nowadays, are urged to move to digital platforms to allow them to continue operating even when they are isolating themselves at home.

Since the start of community quarantines and lockdowns, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) noted that there was a surge in the number of registered online businesses in the country, which allows local entrepreneurs to continue earning while at home. In September, the number of registered online business names soared to 75,000—a leap from about 1,700 in March.

But what really are the advantages of putting up a home-based business? Is it even practical to start venturing into it, especially amid a pandemic? Take it from Shirley Reginaldo and Gershon Gallego—two Santé business owners who found success in having a direct-selling, home-based business.

There are generally two ways to earn from direct selling: one is through retail profit, which is by buying directly from the parent organization and selling the product for a premium to consumers. Another way is by building your own organization of distributors/resellers where one may earn money both from the direct retail profit and from the commission on the efforts of the distributors/resellers in your organization.

Earning while having more time with family

For Shirley Reginaldo, a business owner from San Juan City in Manila and a mother of four beautiful daughters, having a direct-selling business allows her to have more time with her family. She was recently widowed so, having a home-based business that would enable her to sell products using social media or the Internet makes it more convenient for her to have a good source of income amid the pandemic while being with her family.

Reginaldo has been a Santé business owner since 2012. She first learned about Santé, one of the active global players in the direct selling and wellness industry, on TV, and was immediately interested in trying its organic barley-based products.

“I first learned about Santé on TV, and I was amazed by its benefits, so I wanted to try its barley products. But when I learned that they distribute them through direct selling, I lost my interest until my sister, who, at that time, got sick, needed to take some food supplements to help her maintain her health and wellbeing. And so, we bought Santé Barley and, eventually, decided to become a part-time direct seller. Two years after, I became a full-time Santé business owner,” said Reginaldo.

Being in the direct selling business for eight years and now a muti-millionnaire, Reginaldo said that having a home-based business allowed her to be in control of her time. And, since she has been doing her business online, she has not felt any significant change, except that more people became more interested in embarking on direct selling since many lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

Safe, Convenient, Economical

Apart from allowing you to work and earn from home, a direct selling business is also safe, convenient, and economical. Gershon Gallego, a business owner from Mindanao, noted that it only takes a little time to get the hang of it, especially if you are willing to learn and adjust.

Gallego, a nurse by profession, decided to put up a small business for his family when he was 25 years old. He was inspired by his hardworking brother, a former overseas Filipino worker (OFW), who served as the breadwinner of their family and helped all of them to continue their studies.

From these humble beginnings, he decided to put up his direct selling business with Santé, together with his then-girlfriend, now his wife. They became a Santé business owner in 2015.

“I remember us borrowing money because we have nothing back then. All we have is our dreams. My wife and I started as part-time Santé business owners with a promising opportunity in mind and a vision to earn more. We did it consistently with focus and determination. A few years later, with God's grace, both of us earn seven digits, and now doing it full-time," said Gallego.

Now 30 and a multi-millionaire, Gallego aspires to help others to find success in the direct-selling business. “My wife and I have experienced all the good sides of putting up a direct selling business and, it usually delivers to those who really strive hard. Success for us is not material wealth, rather the ability to give hope to the hopeless, genuinely help and encourage people to dream again,” he said.

Choosing the right company, products

When it comes to choosing the products to sell, Gallego said that it pays to first understand what the product is, including its components, ingredients, benefits, among others, before selling them. 

Shirley Reginaldo couldn’t agree more. She noted that the product’s quality is incredibly important to create a base of repeat customers and, the same goes whether the product is consumable or not. Another setter for the product is how you, as a seller, think about the product’s quality—that is why it pays more if you also use or consume the products.

Another factor is the relevance of the product. With the present health crisis, people need essential goods like food, as well as products that can help them maintain a healthy immune system.

“I chose Santé’s organic health and wellness products for my business because I know that they are relevant and of high-quality. If you have that kind of product, then the success of your business will follow,” said Reginaldo.

Gallego, on the other hand, noted that it also pays to choose the company or brand that would push you to become successful. With the changing buying habits of Filipinos, for instance, the company that you will be associating with should allow you to adjust quickly.

“There have been a lot of changes amid the ‘new normal,’ especially on the marketing side of our business. We used to present Santé products to our clients via table talks or group presentations but now, everything has to be done online,” Gallego added.

To help its business owners navigate through these changes, Santé utilized technology to quickly adapt and cater to the demands of the “new normal.” Fastly adapting to the COVID-19 situation, Santé business owners can now order products and have them shipped conveniently with just a few clicks. They can also transact everything through the company’s website.

Santé also migrated its ‘Engage’ programs, a set of training and seminars for all its business owners, to online platforms and are given for free. All these initiatives make it even easier for entrepreneurs to continue or jumpstart their direct selling business.

When asked about their advice to those who are planning to put up their home-based direct selling business, Gallego and Reginaldo recommend not to wait until the pandemic is over. With proper guidance, mentorship, and perseverance, they can start their home-based business now with Santé.

Now present in 10 key cities worldwide, Santé continues to receive a steady demand for its organic health and wellness products. Known for its flagship, Santé Barley™, the company has developed a comprehensive selection of everyday barley-based products. They are made, specifically with organic barley grass, as certified by BioGro, New Zealand’s leading organic certification agency.

To learn more about Santé, visit its website at santebarley.com.

Canva Philippines Donates Proceeds From Paid Images to Aid Typhoon Victims

MANILA, Philippines – In times of crisis, Filipinos never fail to embrace the spirit of bayanihan. 

The country was devastated by a triple hit from Typhoon Quinta, Rolly and Ulysses, resulting in record-breaking flooding. The strong winds and heavy downpour caused power outages, blown-off roofs, villages being submerged, families losing loved ones and their homes. The flooding has affected over three million people, according to the United Nations’ humanitarian office.

Global design platform, Canva, is donating proceeds of up to $50,000 from any paid images or media used in designs in the APAC region towards Philippine relief and recovery efforts. This relief funding will be used to support organizations such as Kids for Kids Ph, Yakal.Ph, and For our Farmers Ph to provide relief packs with hygiene kits, hot meals, pet food and supplies to those in and around Marikina, Rizal, Bicol, Cagayan, and Isabela.

Maisie Littaua, Canva Philippines Head of Growth said “Marami nang pamilya, komunidad, kabuhayan ang lubos na naapektuhan ng bagyo at kailangan nating magtulungan. We felt strongly that during these darkest times, we can all be a force for good.”

Canva has also donated 2,000 relief packs to communities hit by #UlyssesPH through the Office of the Vice President, benefiting families located in Rodriguez, Rizal.

The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 typhoons per year. To help spread valuable information during these times, Canva created a collection of free templates across various categories for the PH Typhoon Relief Campaign. These templates can be accessed when you search “typhoon donations” in the Canva editor and switch the language to Tagalog from the filter option. The templates can also be easily found when you search for the keyword 'bayanihan' in http://canva.com/tl_ph

For more information about Canva, visit https://www.canva.com/


ABOUT CANVA

Launched in 2013, Canva is an intuitive online design and publishing platform with a mission to empower everyone in the world to design anything and publish anywhere. Featuring a simple drag-and-drop user interface and a vast library of templates ranging from presentations, social media posts, posters, invitations to resumes, a huge collection of stock photography, illustrations and fonts, anyone can take an idea and create something beautiful. Canva is available on web, iOS and Android.