Shopping and Learning in One: First-ever So Shop! Bazaar Brings Over A Hundred of Online Sellers Together
More
and more Filipinos are starting to venture into micro, small and medium
enterprises nowadays. With technology, anyone can be an entrepreneur and it has
served as one of the personal goals for a lot of us – from fresh grads to
millennials to retirees. However, starting your own online business may be a
daunting task but with the right support, succeeding in it is not a farfetched
dream.
In
its effort to empower online business owners, leading logistics company LBC
Express Inc. held the first-ever So Shop! social sellers bazaar last October 5
at Function Room 4, SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia, Pasay City. The bazaar
brought together over 100 online business owners, thousands of shoppers,
industry speakers, and influencers in one venue, making it both a shopping and
learning experience in one. It also gave social sellers the opportunity to meet
and connect with their customers in person, showcase their products, and
transact using LBC’s Cash on Pick-up (COP) and Cash on Delivery (COD) services.
“With more and more
Filipinos setting up their businesses online, we at LBC, believe that it’s high
time to bring online businesses together, in one venue, and get to interact
with their buyers live. So Shop! is our commitment to empowering micro, small,
and medium enterprises in the country,” said Oliver
L. Valentin, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for
Philippine Branch Operations of LBC Express Inc. LBC’s COP and COD services are
designed to make online purchasing easier and more convenient for shoppers.
With COP, LBC’s over 1,400 branches can serve as pick-up points for buyers to
get the products they bought online while COD allows them to get it right at
their doorstep.
So!
Shop for all your lifestyle must-haves
Featuring
diverse products from over a hundred booths, So Shop! became a haven for a
weekend to shopping enthusiasts and people with various interests.
For
techies and gadget lovers, online gadget stores such as Kimstore,
Juan Gadget, Droid Hero, and JBL Store PH provided exclusive deals and
discounts. Beauty and makeup fans went gaga over the various shops: from Korean
and Japanese beauty brands to sustainable beauty products. Those who love
customized lifestyle pieces were also able to see their favorite online shops,
making it a perfect venue to shop for personalized gifts including travel sets,
accessories, and even kitchen wares. Moms who were on the lookout for early
Christmas gifts brought home items that are perfect for the whole family.
Speakers from
PLDT , Creative Boss and Canva shared tips on how
online entrepreneurs can leverage the power of digital to succeed in their
businesses.
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So
Shop! also treated the shoppers to a host of surprises including Mystery Box
gifts from participating social sellers and gadgets raffled off by LBC.
Growing one’s online
business
Aside
from the shopping experience, business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs also
learned from a lineup of industry speakers, business owners, and influencers
who gave talks on topics relevant to growing their business.
Facebook
Philippines Head of Agency Liam Capati showcased the power of Facebook ads and
how it can help businesses reach their customers especially at a time when
cutting through the clutter in the online space is crucial. Canva Community
Team Lead Gladys Lacorte emphasized the importance of having visually appealing
social media pages through designs that represent a business’ personality.
Creative Boss Founder Rachell Araja-De
Luna knows very well why a website is a must-have for an online business, with
it being a repository of one’s products online. Through her talk “DIY Your
Dream Website,” Araja-De
Luna discussed the simple ways a budding entrepreneur can create a website
without breaking the bank. The power of online communities cannot be dismissed
too — this is what PLDT Vice-President for Digital Strategy and Consumer
Disruptive Business Carlo Ople
highlighted in his talk. Ople
shared why businesses should be present on the digital space and how to
effectively tap online communities to reach a specific target market.
Not
only was So Shop! a learning-filled experience, it was inspiring too with panel
discussions and success stories that moved the audience. Celebrity mom, wife,
and entrepreneur Neri
Miranda talked about her businesses and her role as a homemaker. Miranda,
owning multiple businesses including Neri’s
Gourmet Tuyo,
online bedding and accessories store Very Neri,
and an events place in Tagaytay called Neri’s
Not So Secret Garden, gave mompreneurs
tips on how to juggle it all.
A
panel discussion on the social impact of online businesses featured Jamico Jamlang,
founder of sustainable businesses The Bamboo Company and Chesca
De Mesa, co-founder and managing director of Refuse PH. Joining them was Havas
Media Ortega Head of Data and Analytics Phil Tiongson who gave the audience a
glimpse of Havas’ global study centering around consumers’ mindful consumption.
Women
entrepreneurs also took center stage with Kimstore
Founder Kim Lato and Neon Island Founders Alyssa Gibbs and Aira
Medina. They shared what it’s like starting and growing a business, as women,
and how they overcame the challenges that came with it.
Hosted
by 101.1 Yes FM DJ Rico Panyero
and Love Radio DJ Raqi Terra, So Shop! was not just a star-studded bazaar but
one that has taught online business owners new techniques to move their
businesses forward.
Javier
Mantecon, Chief Marketing Officer
of LBC Express-Global Marketing, reiterated the company’s commitment to move
lives, including those of the social sellers. “As the e-commerce community
continues to grow, LBC remains your partner. We hope that this is just the
beginning of our long partnership. We want to help you take that move, wherever
that may be.”
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