In response to the current situation our country is facing, more people are pivoting to eCommerce to get access to their daily essentials such as food and vitamins, and even items for their leisure activities like home workout equipment and skin care products. While eCommerce has increasingly become an integral part of consumer lifestyle in Southeast Asia, in the Philippines it acted as a catalyst that accelerated its adoption, citing it as a convenient and safe channel to get their needs and wants.

With this, Lazada, one of Southeast Asia's leading eCommerce platforms, has observed a clear shift in consumer behavior—since people spend greater time using the internet nowadays, they tend to buy across more categories online.

The average duration of time spent on Lazada's platform reported to have doubled with approximately 15 minutes spent per visit compared in February. This has also led to more than 9% increase of transactions occurring on the Lazada app.

The app also experienced more traffic during lunch time compared to previous peaks in the evenings at around 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm. It also noted an increase in time spent browsing through Lazada's selection of offerings, watching LazLive livestreams, or playing interactive games like LazGames.

"[This situation] has expanded the way Pinoys engage with Lazada as a trusted online destination synonymous with safety and convenience. Consumers are using our platform to interact and bond with family and friends, and also as a destination for entertainment while staying indoors. I believe this greater reliance on eCommerce and time spent online will become permanent as consumers are assured of a sense of stability and familiarity with Lazada," said Lazada Philippines' Chief Marketing Officer Neil Trinidad.

There was also a 15-time increase in demand for household essentials such as groceries and cleaning supplies. In particular, with the availability of fresh and frozen items on the platform, a gradual increase of demand for online groceries suggests consumers are adapting to alternative channels to shop for daily essentials which was considered low prior to the country's current situation.

Lazada foresees that this will continue to be on an upward trend as more people are looking for ways to source all their everyday essentials online as an effort to reduce unnecessary physical contact.

More people staying at home also appear to be engaging in activities like baking and self-care. Purchase of baking supplies have increased by 13 times, and skin care product sales have increased by almost four times.

Lazada also observed more top searches leaning towards Do-It-Yourself (DIY) activities around the home including grooming of pets, with an increased purchase of pet care essentials like clippers and shampoos. Exercise mats, inflatable swimming pools, tapioca pearls, lounge wear, and even DJ equipment such as headphones and portable speakers, are also included on the top searches.

More customers are also utilizing digital bills payment capabilities on the Lazada platform, which saw a five-time increase in transactions. Cashless payment options including credit cards and the LazWallet payment channel saw a two-times increase in use as people reduce physical interactions and prefer the convenience of online transactions.

There are people who have also turned to digital channels to contribute to charity. To date, Lazada's digital giving platform, LazadaForGood, has raised over P22 million for its 22 partner beneficiaries. For a list of Lazada's advocacy partners, click here.

Moreover, the concept of eCommerce has transcended beyond transactions and evolved into an entirely new experience. With Lazada spearheading Shoppertainment, more brands and sellers have embraced the online interactive feature to engage with their customers at this juncture. In April alone, Lazada already welcomed over 27 million active audience on livestream.

Lazada continues to focus on leveraging its livestream technology to elevate the online shopping experience for Filipinos by bridging eCommerce and entertainment. The LazLive shows have already seen a three times increase in viewership. A pilot series of content were also launched, including the lifestyle channel QuaranTV, and Sing It! that is hosted by Lazada Philippines' ambassador Mimiyuuuh. Lazada also brought back its classic, fan-favorite gameshow, Guess It!, with each episode averaging over 70,000 views.

There has also been a rise in playing LazGames, with three-times more consumers engaged in gameplay compared in February. The top games rising in popularity among Filipino consumers are LazCity and Lucky Drums, each recording over four-times increase in unique visits since March 2020.

With the continuous support that Lazada receives from the Filipino community, Trinidad stated that elevating the consumer journey through Lazada's technology will continue to be their main priority as one of the leading eCommerce platforms.

For more information about Lazada Philippines, visit its official website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.