Philippines sees rise in online shopping

20.12.2005
With Christmas just around the corner, malls are continuously being filled with last-minute shoppers and traffic seems to get heavier each day. However, a growing number of Filipinos are also beginning to count on the Internet to save them from the mad holiday rush as they click through their PCs and browse dozens of online shops to search for the perfect gift to give this holiday season.

MyAyala.com general manager, Bon Moya, said in an interview with Computerworld Philippines that online holiday spending is expected to continue its growth this year as better market knowledge and increasing confidence in online transactions continue to drive adoption.

He adds that MyAyala is already seeing bigger sales volume and higher values as consumers start their Christmas shopping.

'We have posted more than a double growth in terms of sales volume year-on-year. This just shows that more and more Filipinos are really starting to warm up to shopping online,' said Moya.

'Most of the items Filipinos purchase online during the Christmas season are still traditional gifts like gift baskets, ham, lechon, cakes, and gift certificates,' he said.

Gift certificates available for purchase are usually for major local shops such as SM, Rustan's, Mercury Drugstore, Bench Clothing Co., Enchanted Kingdom, and Max's Fried Chicken.