Lazada sellers back online as customers tap to new normal

MANILA -- Online marketplace Lazada said Monday a "majority" of its sellers in the Philippines are back online, reflecting how small and medium enterprises have begun to reboot from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ahead of the last day of the lockdown in Metro Manila and other urban areas on May 15, SMEs and those involved in the logistics chain have secured rapid passes to move around, Lazada Philippines COO Carlos Barrera said.

"More and more people are coming online. People are shopping from home. They value convenience," he said.




From food and essentials, looser restrictions elsewhere allowed Lazada to offer more products such as office supplies and hardware, Barrera told ANC's Market Edge.

Lazada is "ready" for the new normal in e-commerce in coordination with trade authorities on which products can be delivered, he said.

There's also a "very good recovery" on the customer side, he said.

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Lazada says it can now deliver essential goods

MANILA -- Online shopping platform Lazada announced on Monday that it can now deliver essential goods to customers in the Philippines.

In a Facebook post, Lazada said users can now order alcohol and hand sanitizers, personal care and baby care items, vitamins and supplements, household cleaning supplies, fresh meat and vegetables, canned goods, snacks, beverages, and pet care items, among others.

Its cash on delivery option, however, is temporarily suspended "to facilitate faster deliveries as well as ensure the safety and well-being of our staff and customers."

"We seek your patience as delays in delivery are expected," Lazada said. "Our team is working tirelessly to uphold the best service standards."

Read the full statement 

Lazada earlier suspended its logistics operations in the Philippines as the country's battle against the novel coronavirus continues.

It has since been encouraging users to donate to medical frontline workers and families affected by the COVID-19 crisis through the platform.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

At Lazada, coronavirus measures become the latest culture conflict

SINGAPORE - At Lazada, the Southeast Asian arm of Alibaba Group Holding, staff are furious over demands they submit health reports daily and other coronavirus-prevention steps seen as too invasive, highlighting a long-running culture clash with management from China.

Since February, Singapore-based Lazada has asked all employees to answer detailed questions 7 days a week about their health and where they have been lately, according to 5 people with direct knowledge of the matter.

While the e-commerce firm describes the health reports as not mandatory, employees receive frequent calls from human resources, even on weekends, to make sure reports are submitted, the people said.

Lazada has also asked Singapore employees to wear masks at work, contrary to guidance from authorities, and has also considered urging employees to refrain from attending religious gatherings, they said.

The 5 employees, who said staff anger was widespread, detailed the measures to Reuters on condition of anonymity because they fear retribution. Three showed Reuters a copy of a health report they had submitted.

Such measures are not unusual in China, which has imposed draconian rules to contain the virus. But they are seen as a huge invasion of privacy by many Lazada staff in countries that include Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand.

The conflict illustrates how Alibaba's business practices have sometimes played poorly abroad and hindered its overseas ambitions. It also shows how tensions can emerge within global companies as they struggle with the virus crisis.

"How does the company use the information gathered daily? Nobody is able to explain," said one of the employees, expressing concern that Lazada might pass on the information to governments.

Magnus Ekbom, Lazada Group Chief Strategy Officer, denied there were issues with staff unhappiness over the measures in a statement to Reuters.

"Lazada has a clear top priority to safeguard the well-being of our team and the community around us," the statement said. "Our approach is in line with the recommendations made by the various governments in nations we operate in."

Sources also say this is just the latest chapter in Alibaba's struggles to manage Lazada, a company it owns 90% of after investing $3 billion since 2016 and where morale has been rapidly declining.

Once the top e-commerce firm in Southeast Asia when Alibaba first invested, Lazada has now fallen behind rivals in a fast-growing market of 650 million Southeast Asia consumers across six countries, according to market researchers.

Underlining management woes have been the quick departures of Alibaba executives dispatched to Lazada, with the latest co-president of the unit leaving in January after less than 18 months.

"Some Alibaba executives sent to Lazada have the natural tendency of pushing things the Alibaba way because it proved right in China," said Jianggan Li, the founder of Singapore-based tech investment firm Momentum Works.

"Many tend not to have enough respect for the market, and patience to understand the market deeply," he said, adding that Alibaba's international efforts were still in their early days and the tech giant probably had the determination to learn from mistakes.

Alibaba declined to comment on issues at Lazada for this article.

PUSHBACK

The sources told Reuters many employees had raised their concerns to managers via meetings, emails and messages on DingTalk, an app developed by Alibaba that enables managers to keep constant tabs on staff.

The request that employees at Singapore headquarters wear masks resulted in many queries as it runs counter to guidance from Singapore authorities who recommend masks only if feeling unwell.

"People are confused. If they think working in the office is that dangerous, they should've asked us to work from home," one employee told Reuters.

There were also suggestions from Chinese managers about asking employees to reduce social activities, including religious gatherings, though those steps were not implemented in the face of employee resistance, the sources said.

The pushback has resulted in some changes, as some countries where Lazada operates, such as the Philippines, have stricter privacy laws than China. On March 10, Lazada added a paragraph on privacy protection to the terms of its health check-in program.

"All personal data collected from the daily health check-in program shall be processed in accordance with the local data privacy laws," said an updated version reviewed by Reuters.

CLASHES AND DEPARTURES

According to sources, senior Lazada executives from China have often been quick to impose what has worked for the mainland Chinese market with little regard to local needs or sensitivities in Southeast Asia's fragmented markets.

Some failed strategies include temporary halts to free shipping in some markets which drove merchants to other sites, and attempts to promote bulk buying, the sources said. They added that these mistakes and a tendency for China executives to have key discussions without local input have taken their toll on Lazada's business performance and on morale.

At job search website Glassdoor, anonymous employee reviews are mostly very critical. Among those that were positive, several said they were writing at the explicit request of Lazada CEO Pierre Poignant who asked employees in a townhall to write glowing reviews. Lazada did not address a Reuters query about the reviews in its statement.

E-commerce in the region was worth $38 billion last year and is expected to grow rapidly, according to a study by Google, Temasek and Bain & Company.

Alibaba does not break out Lazada's financial performance or disclose market share, but market researchers say Lazada now lags Singapore-based Shopee, which is backed by Alibaba arch-rival Tencent Holdings Ltd.

Shopee was the most downloaded e-commerce app and the most used in the region as of end-2019, knocking Lazada to second place, according to research firm iPrice. Shopee's website also attracts more visitors than Lazada's, iPrice said.

In Indonesia, the region's biggest economy, Lazada trails Shopee and homegrown marketplace Tokopedia, analysts add.

Lazada disputed the market share assessment. "Lazada has the largest active consumer base in Southeast Asia and continues to gain market share," said the statement by Ekbom, without providing further details.

According to three of the sources, executives from China often do not last long.

Jing Yin, a former Lazada co-president quietly left in January and returned to Alibaba's headquarters in Hangzhou, the people said. Others include the head of Lazada's product team, Jin Luyao, who also returned to Hangzhou in January after less than 18 months while the CEO of the Vietnam unit, Max Zhang, returned in mid-2019 after spending little more than a year in Ho Chi Minh City.

Prior to that, Lucy Peng, one of Alibaba's co-founders, stepped down as Lazada CEO in 2018 after just nine months although she remains executive chairwoman.

Alibaba veteran Jessica Liu has replaced Jing. People who have attended meetings with her said she is smart and understands e-commerce well but her English is limited. That's added to concerns Alibaba doesn't understand Southeast Asia, where English is the dominant language for international business, they said.

Lazada and Alibaba declined to make Liu available for comment. Efforts to reach Liu and the other executives by email and Linkedin were not successful.

The clashes and history of departures have left Alibaba employees wary of coming to the Southeast Asian unit.

"Many people in Hangzhou now see Lazada as a career black hole," one of the sources said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Lazada to sell limited edition MINI cars on 11.11

MANILA– E-commerce platform Lazada Philippines will sell a few limited edition MINI luxury cars for the first time during the global shopping festival 11.11, the local distributor of the British brand said Friday.

Twenty units of the limited edition MINI Monte Carlo, priced at P3,650,000 each, will be available for sale through Lazada with a special promo deposit of P50,000 instead of the usual P200,000 deposit, MINI Philippines said in a statement. 

British United Automobiles Inc., the local distributor of MINI cars in the Philippines, has tapped the online platform Lazada as part of its foray into the “future of retail,” its Marketing Manager Mae Angelie Pacatang-Valdez told ABS-CBN News.

The online space will help MINI reach a wider market, she said. 

“Future retail is convenience, experiential and exclusivity, and knowing that we have all of these as a strong basis of our marketing strategy, we can be game changers of the Philippine automobile landscape,” Valdez said.

“This is one of the first steps in getting digital and MINI is very excited to be part of this campaign. In this fast-paced world that we live in, we need to be faster than anyone else,” she said. 

The sale will still be finalized with MINI’s accredited sale consultants, Valdez said. 

"We're very proud that Lazada has been exclusively chosen by MINI for the sale of their MINI Monte Carlo Edition. The possibilities of e-commerce are limitless; now, people can even buy cars online," Lazada Philippines CEO Ray Alimurung said. 

Earlier this year, Lazada introduced LazMall to fight “fakes”while targeting “premium shoppers.”

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Lazada goes premium, fights fakes with first 'mall'

MANILA -- Shopping app Lazada on Friday launched what it called a "shopping mall," targeting premium shoppers while cracking down on fakes in the online marketplace. 

Items sold on LazMall are "100 percent guaranteed authentic" where the brands themselves identify the sellers, Lazada Philippines CEO Ray Alimurung said. LazMall can be accessed from within the main Lazada app.

LazMall will open on Sept. 9 with discounts of up to 90 percent. While virtual, it is Southeast Asia's largest mall with 70 million product listings, the company said. 

"We felt a need to carve out a different experience and to emphasize that it is a premium experience," Alimurung said.

LazMall purchases are delivered within 24 hours, faster than those made on the main platform. Items can also be returned in 15 days, he said. 

The company that is 83-percent owned by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is "very, very serious" about offering only authentic products. Allegations of counterfeit are investigated immediately, Alimurung said.

"We're not just working with any seller. The seller has to be recommended by the brand," he said.

Official merchants include Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, JBL, Philipps, Mac, L'Oreal, Dove, Olay and Levi's. 

Traffic-weary customers seeking bargains and household products like baby diapers have driven growth for Lazada, which also hosted sale events for mall giant SM. 

In the US, e-commerce giant Amazon opened a physical bookstore in New York last year. It later opened physical pick up points for online shoppers who don't want their purchases delivered to their homes.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Alibaba doubles investment in Lazada

SHANGHAI - Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba said Monday it would appoint one of its founders as head of Lazada and inject another $2 billion into Southeast Asia's leading online shopping firm, boosting its regional expansion.

Alibaba, which already owns 83 percent of Lazada with two investments totalling $2 billion as of June last year, has been trying to acquire both online and offline assets to further bolster its business.

Lazada operates in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam and has 560 million consumers in the region.

One of Alibaba's founders, Lucy Peng, will take over as chief executive officer of Lazada. Peng is currently the chairwoman of the Southeast Asia firm.

"With a young population, high mobile penetration and just 3 percent of the region's retail sales currently conducted online, we feel very confident to double down on Southeast Asia," Peng said.

Lazada founder Max Bittner said Alibaba's "new commitment of capital and resources is good for Lazada and good for the Southeast Asia e-commerce market".

Peng is also the chairwoman and chief executive of Alibaba's affiliate Ant Financial, which is planning a separate public offering.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Lazada ramps up operations for Christmas season, 'online revolution'

MANILA - For Lazada, fashion, health and beauty, baby products and electronics are among the most sought after goods today from the 29 million products available online, its chief said Monday.

Lazada CEO Inanc Balci he himself said, he bought six months worth of toiletries including shampoo and tootppaste to take advantage of the ongoing 'online revolution.'

The e-commerce platform offers up to 95 percent discount during the promotion happening from Dec. 7 to Dec. 12, 2017. To keep up with the demand, the platform prepares three months in advance.

"We have 24/7 staff during the year, I think they go as much as 10x for certain divisions of the company, for example call center gets really big, warehouse it gets really really busy," Lazada CEO Inanc Balci told ANC's The Boss.

The Lazada founder banks on the country's potential to dominate the global e-commerce stage despite challenges when it comes to Internet connectivity.

"When you look a Philippines several years ago, its the biggest SMS capital, today, the social media capital, Philippines is number on in terms of Facebook penetration in the world, tomorrow it will be the e-commerce capital of the world in 5 to 10 years," he added.

With 10 million e-commerce users in the country, Lazada remains optimistic despite the expected decrease in sales after the holidays.

"It doesn’t die down but it goes to normal level, e-commerce industry is a multi-billion dollar industry in the Philippines anyways on the normal days," Balci said.

To drive the country's global e-commerce potential, Balci said, payment and banking system, fintechs, and logistics should be improved.

Next year, Lazada will open a warehouse in Mindanao to optimize operations in the region. Lazada, 
Balci said, is unfazed with the region's political unrest.

"It didn’t hinder, what we do is, we don’t see it as a business opportunity but as something that we have to give back," Balci said.

Catch full episodes of The Boss on iWantTV and tfc.tv. New episodes premiere on ANC at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays with replays on Thursday, 11 p.m.; Friday, 3:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.; Saturday, 4:30 a.m. and 10 a.m.; Sunday, 10 p.m.; and Monday, 9:30 a.m.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Lazada PH gets 7 million visits on 'birthday sale'

MANILA - Online shopping site Lazada said it recorded nearly 7 million visits from the Philippines during its four-day "birthday sale" held in March.

Lazada said the figure is eight times higher "than average traffic of one of the biggest shopping malls in the Philippines."

Lazada Philippines is celebrating its fourth year in operation, capped with a sale held from March 15 to March 18.

"The campaign was participated in by more than 2,300 SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) merchants and more than thirty local and international brand partners--all with special sale offers to online shoppers," the company said in a statement.

Among the top categories during the sale were Mobiles & Tablets, Health & Beauty, and Home & Living, where about 6,000 mobile phones, 2,000 bluetooth smartwatches and 1,500 hair straighteners were sold.

Lazada said it also sold over 4,500 packs of diapers online.

"A large bulk of orders came from Metro Manila, Cebu, and Cavite respectively. Orders were also recorded to have reached the Dinagat Islands, Sultan Kudarat and the Mountain Province," the firm said.

Lazada is planning to launch another app-exclusive sale from April 7-10.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

How Lazada is building strong presence in internet retailing

Internet retailing in the Asia-Pacific has grown to a $285 billion dollar industry, according to the latest figures from market researcher Euromonitor.

Disposable incomes in the ASEAN are growing by leaps and bounds, but many consumers are located too far out from the city where there is a dearth of reliable delivery services.

One company that has managed to work around these challenges is e-commerce firm Lazada, which started out as an online electronics store and has since grown into Southeast Asia's number one online shopping and selling destination.

Maximillian Bittner, chief executive of the Lazada Group, expects robust online sales in the Philippines along with Thailand and Indonesia in Southeast Asia. -- ANC Market Edge, December 16, 2015

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Lazada to double SE Asia warehouses amid e-commerce boom

SINGAPORE - Lazada, the Southeast Asia-focused online retailer founded by Germany's Rocket Internet, plans to double the number of warehouses in the region over the next few years to keep up with a surge in e-commerce from customers outside big cities.

Lazada, which currently has 10 warehouses, expects to add up to three warehouses over the next year, and expects to further increase that to a total of 20 in the next three to four years, CEO Maximilian Bittner told Reuters.

The Singapore-headquartered firm counts state investor Temasek among its investors.

"The demand is growing faster in the smaller cities than the capital cities," Bittner said. "You have a growing middle class (in the smaller cities), who has disposable income and they want to spend their money."

Online sales account for less than 1 percent of all retail in most markets in Southeast Asia, but is growing rapidly as the middle class expands and Internet-enabled mobile phones become more widespread.

Consultant AT Kearney estimates online shopping could grow an average 25 percent annually in the region over the next few years.

Lazada operates in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam and has no immediate plans to expand beyond those countries, Bittner said.

The e-tailer, however, was keeping an eye on emerging markets like Bangladesh, Cambodia and Laos, he added.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Lazada sells 120,000 items amid online sale

MANILA - Lazada Philippines said it sold around 120,000 items to its Filipino customers after launching its "Online Revolution" sale on Wednesday, November 11.

The firm said it already exceeded its online sales records, with its sales increasing six times its October average.

Lazada Philippines posted the best uptake among all Southeast Asian countries where the online shopping site operates, namely Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam.

Over 5,000 units of smartphones were sold on Wednesday alone driven by discounted models of ASUS, Alcatel, Lenovo, and Cherry Mobile.

Lazada.com.ph registered 2.4 million visits on Wednesday, with 70 percent of total orders coming from areas outside of the National Capital Region.

Inanc Balci, Lazada co-founder and chief executive, earlier said the company is planning to open more hubs next year to cater to online shoppers outside Metro Manila.

"The orders are quite distributed evenly across the Philippines, we are not targeting Metro Manila only. Lazada is targeting everywhere," he said.

Lazada said around 60 percent of the orders on November 11 came from shoppers using mobile devices. Its mobile app was also downloaded over three times more on November 11 compared to its average downloads in October.

The online sale will be held from November 11 to December 12.

Lazada offers about a million products ranging from fashion items to appliances to mobile gadgets.

From November 13-18, the company will hold a "fashion week" to sell marked down items from brands such as Nike, Forever 21, and Calvin Klein, among others.

November 19-25 features the "beauty and family week"; "tech week" from November 26-December 2; and "lifestyle week" from December 3-9.

A "Grand Christmas Sale" will be held from December 10 to 12.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Lazada: No room for suspicious sellers

MANILA - Lazada Philippines warned merchants against selling fake products on the online shopping site.

Lazada Philippines co-founder and chief executive Inanc Balci said the company does not tolerate suspicious sellers, and will immediately remove their products if found guilty of selling fake items.

"In the event of any exceptional cases of suspicious product being sold on the platform, we take decisive action including investigating the merchant and removing the products from our website," Balci told ABS-CBNnews.com on Tuesday.

Lazada was recently sued by the Philippine distributor of Korean cosmetics brand Etude House for allegedly carrying fake products.

The products were sold through the Lazada Marketplace, a platform for third-party sellers.

Balci said the company removed the seller from the website after conducting an investigation.

"For this specific case, there is an ongoing legal proceeding and we are in no position to comment on the development of the case, but this is how we approach the problem," he said.

He added that Lazada merchants are contractually required to be fully compliant with Philippine laws and are obliged to continually assess their compliance with the laws.

Balci said Lazada has a 24-hour call center to address customer concerns, including authenticity issues.

"We take all feedback very seriously and we have zero-tolerance policy," he said.

The company is also implementing buyer protection and money-back guarantee policies.

"We are not here for the short term, we are not here to make profit out of this kind of [suspicious] transactions. For Lazada to be successful, we need our customers' trust, coming back to us," said Balci.

He noted that in the past, Lazada took down several suspicious sellers as a pre-emptive measure to protect online shoppers.

There are currently no Etude House products being sold on Lazada.com.ph.

But the Philippine distributor of Korean brand Etude House, Rosa Fioure House Corp., said it will pursue the criminal case against Lazada for violations of Sections 155, 168 and 169 of the Intellectual Property Code due to the selling and/or facilitating the sale of fake and/or counterfeit Etude House of Korea products.

The case has been filed before the Office of the City Prosecutor of Makati.

"We are pushing through with the case, we owe it to our consumers," the Philippine distributor said.

Etude House is a Korean cosmetics brand launched in the Philippines in 2009. It now has more than 40 stores nationwide.

Lazada, meanwhile, is owned by Rocket Internet and is one of the top B2C eCommerce market places in Southeast Asia.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Lazada, Cherry Mobile team up for Cubix

MANILA -- Cosmic Technologies Inc., the company behind the Cherry Mobile brand, has formed a partnership with online shopping portal Lazada for marketing Cubix, the company’s first exclusive online brand.

With the growing shift towards e-commerce, Cosmic Technologies president and CEO Maynard Ngu said they are positioning Cubix to become a significant contributor in the growing online market.

“We believe that Lazada has the right e-commerce strategy and expertise to help bring awareness to the Cubix brand. We are also confident that with the strong logistics capability and the wide cash-on-delivery network, CUBIX will be enjoyed by Filipinos nationwide,” Ngu said in a press briefing last Friday.

For his part, Lazada Philippines CEO Inanc Balci said its partnership with Cosmic Technologies is in line with the company's thrust to enhance its presence in mobile commerce. He said Lazada is focusing on mobile commerce because of the upsurge in the use of smartphones by Filipinos. “Furthermore, access to connectivity because of the strong presence of wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) has strengthen mobile commerce in the Philippines,” he.

“Cosmic Technologies has been our partner since Lazada started in the Philippines. We at Lazada are very much excited to be part of this milestone and bring Cubix to Filipinos nationwide,” Balci added.

Ngu noted that the launch of CUBIX is an opportunity for Cosmic Technologies to increase its target consumers, specially those looking for their next smartphone.

Cubix is powered by Android Kitkat with a crisp 5-inch high definition On Cell Display. Photo aficionados will have a lovely time taking pictures with its 13MP Camera and selfies will look good with its 5MP front camera.

A 1.4 GhzOcta Core processor coupled with a 2GB RAM and 16GB ROM, the Cubix can deliver faster processing speed and can handle resource hungry apps with ease.

All Cubix devices will have the Lazada app which enables online consumers to purchase other items from the convenience of their mobile device.

The Cubix Cub will be available exclusively on Lazada starting June 26 for P4,490.

Flare

Meanwhile, Cherry Mobile also recently launched Flare, its latest Octa-Core smartphone, at another event.

“As a leader in the local tech industry, Cherry Mobile feels that it is our duty to produce world-class, yet affordable, mobile devices for everyone. In fact, we want to continue to break the standard by offering the best all-in-one device at competitive price points,” product manager Lonson Alejandrino during its Overdrive Circuit event.

He said the launch of the Flare X is consistent with the company’s mission of providing value-for-money devices, adding that Cherry Mobile toured various locations around the country to analyze the consumer’s wants and needs to help it manufacture devices that meet such demands.

“The grassroots project resulted to the company being able to pin-point entertainment, imaging, gaming, and being social ready as they key factors being considered by its consumers, aside from the ultimate factor of affordability. These results have led to Cherry Mobile’s release of its newest device, the Cherry Mobile Flare X,” Alejandrino said.

Powered by a 1.7GHz Octa Core processor with 3GB of RAM, the Flare X addresses all four needs. It also fits well with mobile gamers and entertainment buffs as it boast of its 5.5-inch IPS Full HD screen,coupled with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 Protection, for maximum graphic display quality.

It has a retail price of P 6,999.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Lenovo uses Lazada to launch new smartphone

MANILA -- Lenovo recently launched its A7000 smartphone via the online shopping portal Lazada.

This us the first time Lenovo is doing a concurrent launch across six Southeast Asian countries: Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia.

With all-new Dolby Atmos technology, the Lenovo A7000 smartphone is designed for entertainment on a budget. It is targeted at budget-conscious smartphone users who consume large amounts of movies and videos.

The A7000 has a 5.5-inch HD screen and MediaTek 4G LTE True8Core processor. Rounded out with dual 8MP and 5MP cameras and adaptive VIBE UI 2.0, the A7000 is a responsive multimedia performer which promises a fulfilling user experience.

"Due to the rapid growth of mobile internet, e-commerce and interactive marketing, we see a significant change in the traditional business model," Lenovo said.

Lenovo said it needs to adapt fast to remain innovative and to seize opportunities to be ahead of the game.

"The partnership with Lazada has allowed us to take that step forward to meet our common goal,” Dino Romano, country head for Lenovo Smartphone, said in a press statement.

The A7000 is priced at P7,390 and comes with a free back cover and screen protector.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Lazada holds 'flash sale' for 'selfie' addicts

MANILA - Online retail giant Lazada will be holding a "flash sale" on Thursday, shining the spotlight on the Nubia Z5 S Mini --dubbed as perfect smartphone for "selfie" addicts.

The smartphone will go for P8,990 during the flash sale, which will start at noon on Feb. 12.

It will be available to both desktop shoppers and those using the Lazada mobile application available to both iOS and Android users.

The S Mini comes packed with a 4.7 inch HD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, one GB ram and 16 GB rom (expandable to 32 GB thru micro SD cards). It also boasts of a 13-megapixel front camera and 5-megapixel rear camera.

The company says that it is the world's first smartphone to pack a 13-inch front camera that incorporates the control and photographic fidelity of a DSLR camera and lightning-speed 4G support.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

What to expect from Lazada's Chinese New Year sale

MANILA - Lazada Philippines is launching another mega-sale extravaganza on Tuesday, January 27, as a kick-off to the upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations.

Inanc Balci, co-founder and chief executive officer of Lazada Philippines, said the online market is getting bigger and bigger as more Filipinos now shop online.

“This means Filipinos are realizing the benefits of mobile commerce,” he said during press briefing.

“With the traffic situation in Metro Manila becoming more problematic, I believe online shopping is the way to go here,” he added.

With the successful Online Revolution Month in December, Balci said they expect another big turnout on January 27 as Lazada is set to offer attractive shopping promotions such as discounts of as much as 88 percent on select best-selling items, flash sales and surprise items.

If you are curious as to what makes this Chinese New Year sale different from Lazada's previous promotions, here are a few teasers:

Balci said Lazada will raffle night vouchers to give lucky shopaholic nightowls additional discounts for best-selling items

There will be 16 hourly flash sales from 8 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. For competitive shoppers, there will be hourly contests and special prizes on the Lazada website on the Lazada Facebook page.

For deal hunters, Lazada will offer "killer" deals on best-selling tech and lifestyle items with discounts of as much as 88 percent.

Exclusive discount vouchers can also be availed from Lazada's partners such as Smart Bro, Citibank, BPI, BDO and Maybank.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

15 best deals from Lazada's upcoming sale

MANILA - One of Lazada's biggest shopping extravaganza is just around the corner.

Dubbed as the "Online Revolution," the e-commerce site promises hundreds of items on sale with discounts of up to 89 percent starting on December 12.

As to be expected, there are tons of deals on smartphones, televisions, laptops, and other gadgets, in addition to discounts on fashion items, toys, and sports equipment.

If you don't have the time to browse them all, we've rounded up some of the best deals that can be found on the site.

Gadgets: 

ZTE V790 1GB Smartphone for P599 (previously P4,990)
Samsung 16MP Smart Camera DV150F for P5,399 (previously P6,900)
Acer Aspire Chromebook C720 11.6" Laptop for P11,299 (previously P15,000)
Lenovo Triple Combo Laptop for P18,995 (previously P25,000)
My View 40" LED TV Black 40PX200 for P12,995 (previously P15,995)
Nikon D5300 Black DSLR with 18-55mm VR Lens Kit for P34,440 (previously P105,334)

Other items: 

Gold Casio Quartz Watch for P1,550 (previously P3,995)
Mars Kingdom Freestyle Folding Bike for P4,800 (previously P9,800)
Benetton Cold Silver EDT for Men 100 mL for P469 (previously P1,550)
Dowell JE-811 Juicer for P1,475 (previously P2,999)
Living with Linen 4-pc Queen Comforter Set for P1,499 (previously P3,999)
Beauty Spa Portable Steam Sauna with Free Unisex Sauna Suit for P2,598 (previously P3,999)
Li Ning WOW 2.0 Basketball Shoes for Men for P3,747 (previously P7,495)
Longchamp Le Pliage Large Long Handle for P2,699 (previously for P5,999)
Disney Frozen Elsa Doll for P1,529 (previously P3,500)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

18 days to Christmas: Lazada holds big online sale

MANILA -- Lazada Philippines will hold the much-awaited online shopping extravaganza on December 12 highlighted by huge discounts, mind-blowing deals, and incredible brand partnerships all happening as early as 12 a.m. of December 12 in the Lazada Online Revolution.

Night owls can log on in the early hours for special night promotions only available between 12 midnight and 8 a.m., while shoppers can take advantage of killer deals and unbeatable hourly flash sales from 8 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

Shoppers can find the things they want from mobile phones, tablets, gadgets and appliances to fashion, household goods, toys, and sports equipment and enjoy more than 80 percent discount on select best-selling items.

Inanc Balci, co-founder and chief executive officer of Lazada Philippines, said the event was inspired by its highly successful November online event.

“We kicked off the month-long Online Revolution sale in November but the best is yet to come. With 24 hours of unbeatable deals on 12 December, consumers are in for an unforgettable shopping experience,” Balci said.

Balci said they expect a bigger shopping online crowd during the holiday season, as consumers want to beat crowds, queues and the inconvenience of shopping in malls and busy shopping districts. With a wide range of product offerings all under one digital roof, consumers can shop effortlessly at Lazada without having to leave their home.

To join the shopping frenzy, simply log into www.lazada.com.ph/Online-Revolution to get the best deals of the year and subscribe to its Facebook Fan page.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

A 'perfect' bag for your iPad arrives in PH

MANILA - When it comes to portable technology like the iPad Mini, finding a comfortable and practical way of carrying it around can be troublesome.

Booq, a new line of bags that recently arrived in the Philippines, may just save you the hassle.


Based in California, Booq boasts bags of varying sizes to fit each one's "personality and style," as well as several of Apple's current offerings.

Made from polyurethane-backed ballistic nylon, each bag is designed to be water-repellent and to stay completely dry even during heavy rainfall.

The line also features a metal tag dubbed Terralinq, which can be used to locate lost bags through an online database system.

Booq currently has five specific line of bags available to Filipinos, namely: Boa, Cobra, Mamba, Taipan, and Viper.

Dubbed as the "heavy duty travel partner," Boa is the biggest of the bunch, whose backpack line can fit a 17-inch MacBook easily, as well as one's DSLR camera.

Cobra, which is the smallest, is a compact shoulder bag that can carry any 10-inch iPad model, while the Mamba, Taipan and Viper can fit pretty much any device in between the two previously mentioned.

Booq can be found in select Power Mac Center, iStudio, and Switch outlets. It is also available online through Lazada

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com