Filipinos went online shopping like never before in 2020, when virus quarantines forced millions to stay at home. For Gen Z, it's the year of add-to-cart.
Last year, 38.88 million Filipinos purchased consumer goods online, resulting in a 42.5% increase in the value of e-commerce goods to $3.55 billion compared to 2019, market tracker Statista said as cited in We Are Social's annual report.
How much did Filipinos spend on average? Roughly $91 each or P4,362.59, which is a fair price for a decent air fryer (they are usually priced over P4,000) or two (they can go as cheap as P1,600) — if all hopped into the kitchen craze.
It's important to note that this data does not account for other types of spending, such as business-to-business (B2B) transactions that one does when in direct contact with an online seller.
It only accounts for purchases through e-commerce platforms like Shopee and Lazada where "consumer goods" such as fashion and beauty products, electronics and physical media, food and personal care products, furniture and appliance, and toys, hobby and do-it-your-own (DIY) products are often bought.
There's still a lot of spending yet to be accounted for.
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Safety and convenience helped move consumer spending to apps and internet portals, online shoppers told reportr.
"Parang kawalan siya kapag di ka nakaka-avail kasi it's the time of the month and dapat may bilhin ka," said Dylan Constantino.
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Lizette Inocencio, a psychology professor at UP Diliman, said online shopping may have proven itself an effective distraction from stressors brought by the ongoing health crisis, but also warned of it becoming a means of problem avoidance.
"As with other things, shopping is okay when done in moderation, and when you are not spending beyond your means," she said.
