What is Shoppee or Shopee?
The Internet has transformed the way we shop. Because of the countless advantages and benefits, more and more people these days prefer to shop online rather than the conventional method of going into malls and retail stores.
Today, there are numerous e-commerce platforms designed to cater to the online shopping needs of consumers. One platform that has gained massive success in recent years is Shoppee. (Shopee)
What is Shopee? What are its benefits? How do you use it? Discover the answers to these questions and more.
Shoppee Description
Shopee is a Singaporean multinational technology company that mainly focuses on eCommerce. Headquartered under Sea Group, Shopee was initially launched in 2015 in Singapore.
Later, it expanded its reach to Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brazil, Mexico, and the Philippines.
As of 2021, Shoppee serves consumers in Southeast and East Asia, as well as several countries in Latin America, such as Mexico and Brazil, who want to buy and sell their goods online.
Tech In Asia called Shopee one of the “5 disruptive e-commerce startups we saw in 2015” thanks to its mass scale and technical advancement.
History
In 2015, Shoppee launched in Singapore as a mobile-centric, social-first marketplace where users can browse, shop, and sell.
Integrated with payment and logistical support, Shoppee claims to make online shopping secure and convenient for both sellers and buyers.
Shopee launched a website to compete with other eCommerce websites in the region like AliExpress and Lazada.
But to differentiate itself, Shopee offers online shopping security through its own escrow service known as ‘Shopee Guarantee’, where it withholds payments to sellers until buyers have received their orders.
In 2019, Shoppee officially opened its new 6-story regional headquarters at Singapore Science Park.
Business Model
Initially, Shoppee started as a consumer-to-consumer (C2C) marketplace. Eventually, it moved into both a C2C and a business-to-consumer (B2C) hybrid model.
Shopee partners with more than 70 courier service providers across its markets to provide logistical support for its users.
Shopee Benefits
Shoppee benefits both consumers and sellers in a variety of ways. Here are some of the many benefits of using this platform.
Benefits for Sellers
Listed below are 3 benefits of Shopee for sellers and businesses.
Fast Go-To Market Time
Unlike traditional retail, starting your Shopee store can be done in just a few clicks. You just need to set up an account, list your items, and then you can start selling! You don’t need deep technical or eCommerce knowledge to get your Shoppee store up and running.
Operate Your Business from Anywhere
Shoppee reduces any geographical restrictions you would normally face with an office-based business.
You can be anywhere around the world and still successfully oversee your business. The essential items you need to oversee your shop from anywhere are having access to the Internet, the Shoppee website, and having access to your emails.
Lower Set Up and Running Costs
The cost of actually setting up a Shoppee store is lower than that of an offline business. The entire sales system for your business is automated online.
Therefore, you will save on staff, wages, and other business costs which usually include expenses such as rent and electricity. The money that you have saved can then be used to expand your product range further.
Benefits for Consumers
Listed below are 3 benefits of Shoppee for consumers.
Convenience
The biggest advantage of Shoppee for consumers is the convenience it provides. You don’t need to get dressed and drive to your favorite mall.
You don’t have to sit through traffic. You don’t have to wait in line to pay for your purchases. When shopping online, you simply need to log in to your Shopee account, find the product(s) you want, and buy it in just a few clicks!
If you work irregular hours or are very busy, you probably don’t have time to visit the mall. Shopee allows you to buy things without disrupting your schedule.
Better Prices
You are assured of the best prices when shopping online. The competition in Shopee is stiff, and sellers are looking for ways to offer the best deals to beat their competition. This is a big benefit for buyers who are looking for the best prices online.
Plus, you can easily compare prices on Shoppee! You can compare several sellers (and the prices they offer for the items you want), then decide on which store offers the best value – this allows you to get the best deals possible.
Variety
Most physical stores have a limited array of products. After all, they can only hold so many items – plus there are usually many policies affecting product availability.
For instance, there might be certain items that are only available to those versions of the business that exist in the mall.
Shopping on Shoppee allows you to find many products that you wouldn’t be able to find in a physical store.
Plus, you can also buy products that don’t always go together logically like art materials and phone accessories.
Shopee Features
Whether you’re a bargain hunter or you’re simply the ultimate online shopper, here are some Shoppee features that will make your online shopping experience more enjoyable.
Shopee Guarantee
Ever felt restless when you’ve ordered an item online but it’s taking way too long and you feel like you’ve been scammed by sellers? Well, Shoppee has a way to solve that issue for you!
Shopee is a feature that protects sellers and buyers against fraudulent transactions to keep online selling and mobile shopping safe and easy. Shopee Guarantee protects buyers by withholding the payment to Sellers until the Buyer confirms receipt of their order(s).
Shopee Pay
Paying for your Shopee purchases is more convenient with Shopee Pay! Shopee Pay is Shopee’s official in-app e-wallet regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. This allows users to quickly and conveniently top-up, purchase, and withdraw through Shopee Pay.
Shopee Pay Later (SPayLater)
Want to buy something but you’re short on funds? With SPayLater you can now make purchases – and pay for them later!
Shopee Pay Later (SPayLater) is a new feature for qualified buyers. It gives buyers the option to buy now and pay later or to apply for an installment loan for their Shopee purchases. As of the moment, SPayLater is only available for select Shopee users.
SPayLater has a processing fee of 0 – 2% per transaction amount. The monthly interest rate ranges from 1 – 5% for all items purchased through SPayLater, except for products from the voucher category and all digital products (e.g. bill payments, mobile data, mobile load, etc).
Through SPayLater, Shoppee buyers can now choose their preferred payment terms: Buy Now Pay Later, 2 months installment, or 3 months installment.
Shopee How to Use
So, how exactly do you buy items on Shopee? Here’s a quick step-by-step guide for new Shopee buyers.
Step 1
Before you can start shopping, make sure you have registered an account on Shopee.
Step 2
Once you’ve registered, you can now log in and browse through Shopee’s categories/sub-categories – or use the search bar – to find the product(s) you want.
Step 3
Click on the product you want to purchase. On the product details page, you can either tap:
Chat Now
to discuss or make an offer with the seller. You can also use this feature to chat with the seller if you have any inquiries about the product.
Add to Cart
to place the selected item(s) in your shopping cart.
Buy Now
to place an order directly.
Step 4
Once you’re ready to check out, simply go to the ‘Checkout’ page. There, make sure to:
- Select your preferred ‘Delivery Address’.
- Check the available shipping courier.
- Choose your preferred payment method.
Step 5
Double-check that everything is accurate. Then, simply tap ‘Place Order’ and you’re all done!
Shopee User Reviews
Here’s what people are saying about their experience at Shopee.
“I bought items from this Shopee’s store called BigBuyMall.ph and I’m very impressed with the quality of products they have and their very responsive customer service. The items I bought were delivered quick and paid upon delivery.” – Angelica
“I’m enjoying Shopee now better than other platforms. Vouchers are very easy to use and understand. The loyalty system is a good touch.
My only problem is when I switch from this app to another and come back, this app would seize up. I have to close it and open it again for it to work.
Maybe it would be better to remove unnecessary features to make the app more stable. More power!” – Natus R.
“With my experience so far, they have the best and cheapest deal, the delivery will take some time but it’s worth it.” – AN
“SHOPEE is really an extraordinary shopping app for its quality, customer service, and delivery time.
My first purchase on this app was way back in 2018 when I started my online business and up until now I still love buying stuff there.
They won’t let you down when it comes to screening their sellers and avoiding scammers. And their agents are really accommodating and will help you solve any problems that you have with the item.
So I really, really recommend this shopping app to my friends and for those who want to start a business this is the right app for you!” – Yang
“Shopee deserves a spot in my Most Recommended Online E-Commerce list. Not only has it improved a lot since its infancy, but it has revolutionized online purchases as well, especially during this pandemic.
It had been my go-to app for everything I needed (except groceries at least, still need to go out for that).
Granted, the app still has a few hiccups here and there, and some services can still improve, but it’s not a deal-breaker for me. I trust it now more than ever. Kudos!” – Charles
“This website is also one of the platforms I used when it comes to online buying of things. Easy to navigate, all information needed is easy to find. All items are displayed clearly so that customers would really see the actual look of each item. Good website.” – AGTY
“Shopee is reliable. It gives me confidence whenever I use it that I will receive my package properly. I highly recommend this shopping site and I say that as a previous Lazada user. 4/5 stars as their customer support need a little bit of improvement.” – Kyle
“Smooth and quick transactions with lots of discounts, free delivery, and promos. The only problem I have with shoppee is that you can never really tell you if the item you bought is actually authentic or not.” – Fadi
“It’s not perfect, but it is okay. I like that they have laid out restrictions for both buyers and sellers to protect them.
As for them robbing money, I’ve always been skeptical of using a bank account for online transactions so if you mainly use COD you’ll be safe.
Just look for the legit buyers! (The ones with 100+ products and stellar shop reviews) And avoid incompetent couriers! (e.g. XPOST, NinjaVan).
As for customer service, the chat service is so horrible! Made my phone slow. Don’t get your hopes up on delivery dates and you’ll be okay. Make sure to take a picture of EVERYTHING!” – Alliezza
“Brought items online on COD basis.. So far good quality and competitive pricing of the items. Lots of seller choices. Just take time to read each seller’s customer feedback and reviews.” – Sam
“Customer support is very bad, I encountered an issue mainly because of the misinformation given by the agent. It was so frustrating.
All they did was apologize and cut me off during chats but I lost my money bec of their incompetence. Pls, train your agents. NO ONE RESOLVED MY PROBLEM.” – Karen
“I like that they give incentives for posting a review with photos in the form of Shopee coins which you can use to get a discount on future purchases.
It’s also quite easy to navigate through their site. Sellers are responsive most of the time. I also like that they have a Cash-On-Delivery option for payments for those who don’t have a credit or debit card.” – Frances
“Overall great service and I found some hard-to-find authentic merchandise/goods (can only be bought out of the country) in Shopee that were sold by trusted sellers.
I don’t have the luxury of time with my job to go out and spend hours looking for the things I want/need, so I often shop online, and Shopee is one of my go-to sites. Personally,
I’ve never experienced anything negative since I make sure to screen the sellers carefully, so I’m always looking forward to the next transaction. Never even needed to contact customer service! Really great!” – KZ
