E-commerce firm Shoppedia said it struck an exclusive deal with PhilEx Solutions Corp. which seeks to set a benchmark for logistics and online trade in the Philippines.
During the ceremonial signing of their memorandum of agreement on Wednesday at the headquarters of PhilEx in Pasig City, Shoppedia said it is tapping PhilEx as its sole delivery partner. The e-commerce firm is slated to launch within the first quarter.
“Technically an e-commerce platform would always want to look for other delivery services to have more options. But I think I wanted to change the landscape of this because an e-commerce should always have one faithful partner to have that hassle-free delivery than having multiple delivery services but they cannot even meet eye-to-eye,” Shoppedia Managing Director Neil G. La-as told reporters in an interview.
Online trade has been in existence for quite some time now, but it’s phenomenal rise started during the Covid-19 pandemic when mobility restrictions prompted people to turn to the web for their daily needs.
“We became so complacent with what the system is offering. We became so nonchalant about what’s going on in the system… [so] we want to infiltrate the system with a good behavior, with good governance in terms of making sure that consumers deserve what they need to get from us,” La-as said of their rigorous screening process for suppliers and merchants that will go onboard their platform.
“So we will matter for 2024 because our vision changes the landscape of e-commerce that when you pick a product with Shoppedia, you are certainly assured that it will be delivered timely, correctly…because we partnered withPhilEx.”
PhilEx Chief Executive Officer and founder Sem P. Sangoyo vowed to meet its client’s and customers’ expectations because as an online seller himself, he also wants to bring same quality products to their patrons.
“We all know that among the complaints in e-commerce is that the actual parcel that some customers receive is far from what they expect based on the picture posted on the platform,” he said in a mix of Filipino and English.
“So we guarantee that for every Filipino customer who will patronize our partnership with Shoppedia, the product to be delivered to them is safe, without any damage, and useful.”
He said PhilEx’s riders are equipped to deliver services even during uncertainties, force majeure, and natural catastrophes.
“We are still part of the system, but we will revolutionize our services, we will revolutionize the system because the sudden peak of demand for e-commerce redounds also to logistics yet the quality of service declines,” Sangoyo said.
Shoppedia is set to go live on March 8, offering various product categories, such as fashion, lifestyle, beauty, gadgets and electronics, toys, and industrial. It is also partnered with a leading department store. During the opening, the first 500 shippers can avail of a 50-percent discount on delivery fee, plus free vouchers and gift certificates.