50% of Pinoy holiday shoppers prefer mobile engagement than actually going to the mall — FB study

Could it be the worsening traffic situation, the perennial parking problem, or simply the prospect of enduring  long lines, crowds, and sticks being poked inside their bags? Maybe.

An online study commissioned by Facebook found that 50 percent of shoppers in a sampling of 1,504 Filipinos aged 18 and above consider mobile shopping to be more convenient than actually going to a brick-and-mortar store.

In fact, with 59 percent of Filipino Christmas shoppers, the same study found the Philippines ranked second only to Indonesia’s 61 percent in turning idle hours—like sitting in traffic or waiting in line—into productive time by accomplishing their holiday shopping using their mobile gadgets.

According to the study, 35 percent are planning to shift to mobile to complete their holiday shopping.

Three of out of five Filipinos surveyed believe mobile shopping allows them to make informed choices, on top of helping them tick items off their to-do list.

Being informed

On the first day of IMMAP’s Digicon 2018, Google’s head of Large Consumer Business Shaifali Nathan said customers appreciate and expect three things from brands online: keeping them informed, personalized engagements, and the promise of frictionless experience.

It’s an observation that the Facebook-commissioned study concur with. Presenting the study to a select group of media practitioners, Facebook Philippines country head John Rubio acknowledged that e-commerce is still in its infancy in the Philippines but that it actually exists in a formidable manner unique to the country.

“It exists in the form of, for instance, HM po?” he said.

“HM” stands for “how much” and “po” is a term of respect, and the question, “HM po?”has become a mainstay in the comments section of online shops and businesses on social media.

“People ask 'HM po' because it starts a conversation [with the seller],” Rubio noted, adding that it is also an opportunity for them to get details and learn more about the product.

And then there are the internet-invented occasions that Filipino online businesses have joined—11/11 or Single’s Day Sale on November 11, for instance.

“Single’s Day started in China, with Alibaba, with the idea of giving singles a special deal because they’re single. And then 10/10 (October 10), 12/12 (December 12), followed,” Rubio noted.

On-trend

The Philippines is on-trend with the rest of the world, which saw mobile-first shoppers grew by 20 percent on average.

Curiously, 64 percent of traditional shoppers—offline buyers—engage in “window online shopping” as they would peruse aisles of stores in malls and shopping centers, doing research, comparing prices (72 percent), comparing products (66 percent), reading product reviews (66 percent).

The point is that they're still keeping informed on their phones. —VDS, GMA News