MICRO, SMALL and medium enterprises (MSMEs) need support to remain on a growth track as they deal with a more stringent regulatory environment for online selling, Shopee Philippines said.
Shopee Philippines Head of Public Relations Erin M. Tagudin cited the need to work with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to make products sold online more compliant.
“We are working together with the DTI in terms of compliance, such as ICC (import commodity clearance) stickers. We want to make sure that we are in line with what they want, but we also want to protect our local sellers at the same time,” Ms. Tagudin told reporters.
“It is kind of tedious to get those kinds of permits and all, are also growing at the same time. (A crackdown) it will hurt our MSMEs, so we are looking for a balance,” she added.
On Nov. 21, the DTI released a draft department administrative order setting the guidelines for registering online sellers of consumer products that require certification.
The order covers household appliances, consumer electronics, lighting and wiring devices, steel products, plastic pipes and ceramic products, cement and other construction materials, chemical products, automotive products, and other consumer products.
It will apply to online merchants and e-retailers engaged in business in the Philippines and brand-new consumer products requiring certification by the DTI’s Bureau of Philippine Standards.
Separately, she said that Shopee’s 11.11 promotion has been a success, with some brands’ online sales exceeding those generated by physical stores.
“We broke a lot of records from last year. It was very successful. Even on our mall side, we actually broke some records also. So some of the brands actually experienced quite a lot more success than their retail counterparts,” she added.
During the 11.11 sale, Shopee Philippines said orders were up 11 times, while viewership or watch time rose four times, especially for fashion products, mobile accessories, beauty products, and home improvement items.
She said brands are seeing a future in e-commerce, and are starting to invest substantially in e-commerce.
“They’re seeing that there is much growth when it comes to e-commerce … there is a big market when it comes to e-commerce, and I think the brands are seeing it that way as well,” she said.
“As much as they want to invest more in bricks and mortar, I think they are also investing probably 15-16% of their budget into e-commerce because they are seeing that there is growth for sure,” she added. — Justine Irish D. Tabile