It’s the most wonderful time of the year, so the song goes. But when you’re out in the malls competing with thousands of other shoppers for your turn to make your purchase, well, there’s really nothing wonderful about that. Not to mention having to weave through that tangled mess called metro traffic just to get to the shopping center.
Fear not. There’s a way to do your Christmas shopping right from the comfort of your home. Just sit down at your computer, get online, visit your favorite shopping sites, and click away to fill up your cart.
Welcome to the world of online shopping, the no-hassle way to get the products you want delivered to your doorstep. If you haven’t tried it yet, now may be a good time. And in case you’re the type who’s hesitant to send your credit card information out into cyberspace, no worries. These sites offer a cash on delivery option, giving you peace of mind to go with your shopping convenience.
Below is a list of popular online shopping sites you may want to explore. Please note that we at The Manila Standard based our choices on users’ feedback posted online and objective review sites. We cannot guarantee that the products you order will live up to the claims made by the sites. We suggest you also do your own research before you start your online shopping.
Goods.ph. If your shopping list includes groceries, this is the site to go to. These are neatly categorized into snacks, beverages, baby needs, pasta and noodles, condiments, and canned goods. Aside from groceries, this site also offers items under the following categories: mobiles and tablets, fashion, health and beauty, consumer electronics, appliances, home and living, and movies, books and music. Their website is very neat and user-friendly. Shipping is free, and you can opt for cash on delivery. url: goods.ph
Kim Store. Your one-stop online shop for everything techie. At the top of their homepage, you’ll see the following categories: mobile phones, tablets, cameras, laptops, music players, gaming consoles, and accessories. Mouse over each of these, and a drop down menu of the different brands available appears below. Click on the brand you want to look into, and you’ll see all the products of that brand. Neat layout, easy navigation.
Aside from a comprehensive lineup of products, they also have a friendly staff that promptly responds to your queries through text. A word of warning: a product can get sold out, and this wouldn’t be reflected in their website. You’ll need to inquire about availability before placing your order. url: kimstore.com
Lazada Philippines. Log on to this site, and the moment you hit their homepage, you’ll see why this is one of the most popular online shopping site is the Philippines. One look at the category links on the left side and you know that this site is loaded: fashion, health & beauty, computers & laptops, watches/jewelry/sunglasses, mobiles & tablets, TV/audio/video/gaming gadgets, cameras, home & living, hope appliances, toys, kids & babies, travel & luggage, sports & automotives, and media, music and books. On top of ll these (literally), is a Highlights at Lazada link. Mouse over this and you’ll see special ongoing promos, discount deals and most popular items.
You’ll probably spend a few hours browsing over this site, after which you can opt for cash on delivery or installment plans you can avail of using your credit card. url: lazada.com.ph
O Shopping. While offering a rather limited number of products compared to the others here, O Shopping nevertheless deserves a mention here, because they have products from Korea, Japan, and Europe that are not available anywhere else. These include ceramic non-stick pots and pans, an amazing multi-use saw, a cordless drill set from Switzerland, and an electric egg roll maker, among others. This website is actually the net equivalent of the O Shopping TV channel (11 on Sky Cable). Their products are categorized as follows: health and fitness, home and living, home improvement, travel and luggage, electronics, outdoor, kids and babies, fashion and accessories, and health and beauty. One of the pluses of this site is, each product’s landing page contains a video of the infomercial – as seen on TV.
O Shopping boasts of next-day delivery from the time you place your order, and you can pay cash on delivery. url: oshopping.com.ph
Zalora Philippines. Widely regarded as the fashionista’s favorite online shopping portal, this site boasts the widest range of fashion items on the local web scene. Mango, Levi’s, Nike, Oakley, Guess?, the list of brands is a veritable who’s who in the fashion scene. Aside from clothes, you’ll find watches, shoes, headwear, ties, scarves, bags, grooming needs, and various accessories.
Like Lazada, Zalora Philippines offers cash on delivery, and free shipping for orders totaling Php1000 or more. They also give Php250 discounts to first-time purchasers and hold monthly sales (yes, monthly sales). url: zalora.com.ph
Aside from the above sites, you may also want to look into classified ads sites like olx.ph and ayosdito.ph. These are not online shopping sites in the strict sense of the term. Rather, they are platforms for sellers to advertise their good. But you may find vendors who are willing to deliver to your home (which is the point of online shopping), or meet up with you at a convenient place.
Happy shopping!