It may have taken a while for Filipinos to embrace online shopping, but they love it now. Many Filipino consumers regularly shop online to maximize convenience and get good deals on everyday essentials. Some also turn to online shopping to find products that aren’t readily available in the Philippines.
Gone are the days when Filipinos were wholly reliant on family members or friends living abroad to purchase imported goods for them. Thanks to the internet and package forwarding services that ship to the Philippines from the U.S. and other parts of the globe at affordable rates, local consumers can now shop cross-border from the comfort of their homes. No wonder more Filipinos are taking advantage of the opportunity. According to J.P. Morgan’s Global E-Commerce Trends Report, half of all online consumers in the country have shopped from international online stores, and there’s hardly any doubt that more will follow.
Perhaps you’re curious as to what types of Pinoy shoppers enjoy buying items from overseas stores. If so, read on. From online sellers to toy collectors, here are five types of Filipinos who love cross-border ecommerce.
K-Pop Merch Collectors
With the rising popularity of Korean pop music, Filipino K-pop fans turn to online shopping to get official merchandise, or “merch,” straight from South Korea. This consumer group is continuously on the lookout for various K-pop merch from their favorite boy bands, girl groups, or bias (favorite group member). DVDs, special edition albums, light sticks, and photo cards are some of their top picks. For Filipino “stans” or ardent K-pop fans, collecting official merch is not just a mere hobby, but a serious business.
One study published in the Asian Journal of Social Science reveals that Filipino K-pop fans are incredibly active and passionate consumers. They purchase K-pop products to meet different needs, including strengthening a desired self-image or creating a sense of fan identity. These loyal supporters spend thousands of pesos buying all kinds of merch from South Korean online stores and elsewhere to express their gratitude for all the efforts exerted by their beloved groups or artists.
Fashionistas and Beauty Enthusiasts
Just as K-pop fans buy products to support their interests, Filipino cross-border shoppers also include hobbyists for fashion and beauty products. They enjoy buying clothes, shoes, accessories, cosmetics, skincare items, and other products that make them look or feel good. And because fashion and beauty are strongly influenced by trends, this type of consumer is likely to be an active shopper who places multiple orders throughout the year.
Perhaps fashionistas and beauty enthusiasts prefer foreign-made items as they perceive them to be of higher quality than local brands. Some shoppers also opt to buy at the source to get exclusive releases and avoid hefty import taxes from local distributors. The massive popularity of social media influencers also sways consumers to be more adventurous with their purchases and thus source their fashion and beauty items from South Korea, Japan, and the U.S.
Bookworms
If you ever thought that buying physical books was an outdated practice among Filipinos, think again. The popularity and prevalence of second-hand bookstores across the country showcase the Pinoy’s love of reading and bargain finds. But these consumers don’t limit their purchases to well-thumbed paperbacks. More and more Filipino book lovers are supplementing their libraries with purchases from abroad.
Aside from buying the works of acclaimed international authors, these bookworms purchase books that are hard, if not impossible, to find locally. Such precious finds include books with limited edition design covers, illustrated novels, first editions, or rare titles that aren’t distributed in the Philippines. Cross-border ecommerce allows them to shop at specialty bookstores without needing to travel out of the country themselves.
Photo by Maksym Kaharlytskyi on Unsplash
Toy Collectors
Another high-value hobby that has been growing in popularity is toy collecting. Filipino hobbyists collect toys for different reasons. Aside from wanting to relive fond childhood memories and investing in pieces that remind them of their favorite comic books or movies, some collectors enjoy the feeling of amassing toys representative of Japanese popular culture. Anime action figures, video games, and robot model kits are highly sought-after items within this community. Because most of these products are only available overseas, many toy collectors who resort to cross-border e-shopping to score desired toys and other collectibles.
While some foreign toy companies have tapped and partnered with local distributors to bring their products to the Philippine market, it’s practically impossible to meet all the demands, as toy enthusiasts have varied interests. As such, many still opt to shop for their collectibles from overseas shopping sites that provide hassle-free and affordable shipping rates to the Philippines.
Small Business Owners
Not all who shop at overseas online stores are driven by personal interests and hobbies. Many of them are small business owners or online sellers who source products from various parts of the world and resell them in the Philippines. As Filipino buying habits are changing to include more ecommerce shopping, these entrepreneurs are quick to realize the potential and set up shop online instead of investing in a physical store. While buyers can still opt to purchase direct from the source, these small online businesses offer the convenience of a well-curated inventory and shorter shipping times at competitive prices.
The list above is not exhaustive, but it gives an overview of why cross-border online shopping is popular among Filipinos of different lifestyles and interests. Perhaps you’ve tried shopping from overseas online stores in the past. If so, what type of shopper are you?
