Opinion piece by:
Marwan Rusdi
George and Kate love shopping together, it is one of the ways they like to spend time as a couple. They usually have a list of things that they would like to purchase on their shopping trips together. When they arrive, they like to check all the cool things that they bought, some items were on the list as some were not on it. Kate saw a rubber duck in one of the bags and could not remember why they bought it. She asked George and he could not remember either. The same thing happened to the mini desk fan and scented paper.
This sounds very familiar, at least to some degree. We all tend to have difficulties differentiating between our wants and needs when we are out shopping. This is not because we do not know the difference between them, but because we tend to trick ourselves into needing our wants. Impulse buying here and there is not a problem, as long as it is done occasionally, not all the time.
Thanks to inflation raising the prices everywhere, George and Kate, are in need of some cash. They asked their friends for some advice, and their friends told them that it would be best for them to sell some of the stuff they have around the house that they did not need or use at all.
George and Kate’s friends suggested the following Apps and Websites help them sell the items they do not need:
1. Shopee – One of the leading e-commerce platforms in the country. It has established itself as a reputable and reliable website/application for users to buy and sell items.
Why do we recommend it?
- Popularity – Shopee is a well-known e-commerce platform and people are comfortable purchasing and selling on it.
- Communication – Users can talk to the sellers themselves if they have any questions
- Ease of Use – The process is very streamlined, making it very convenient for buyers and sellers to use the platform.
2. Lazada – Another one of the leading e-commerce platforms in the country. This could easily be considered the main rival to Shopee. Lazada entered the Philippine consumer market way before Shopee and is just as reputable.
Why do we recommend it?
- Popularity – Lazada is just as popular as its counterpart. This also means that it is a widely trusted platform.
- Communication – The chat function is available for buyers and sellers to communicate.
- Ease of Use – Lazada has a streamlined process that makes purchasing and selling items on its platform a convenient process.
3. Carousell – Formerly OLX, this was and still is the first thing people think about when they speak of selling second-hand items. Even after getting a makeover in its shiny red suit, OLX which is now Carousell is still one of the best platforms to sell some of those items that you do not use much.
Why do we recommend it?
- Popularity – Carousell is by far one of the most well-known marketplaces for buying and selling second-hand items. However, their popularity is not as widespread as the other two.
- Communication – Carousell offers a chat function for buyers and sellers to discuss any queries.
- Ease of Use – Just like the other two previous entries on this list, Carousell also has a streamlined process for buying and selling items.
4. FB Marketplace – Facebook Marketplace makes use of the ever-popular and widely used social media to connect buyers and sellers. This transforms facebook from a common social media website into an e-commerce platform.
Why do we recommend it?
- Popularity – Facebook is a very popular platform, and its marketplace helps connect people through the website.
- Communication – This is one of the highlights of FB Marketplace thanks to its integration into Facebook
- Ease of Use – The process is not streamlined on the Facebook marketplace compared to the others. However, it is intuitive enough for buyers and sellers to conduct transactions.
5. Instagram – A social media website with close ties to Facebook. Instagram may have started as a photo-centric app, but users quickly began to expand the app way beyond photographs.
Why do we recommend it?
- Popularity – Aside from its connection to Facebook, Instagram is also a popular social media website and application. However, it is use case as a platform for e-commerce is not as well established as the others.
- Communication – Direct Messages are available for users to communicate with one another.
- Ease of Use – No streamlined process exists for purchases through Instagram. Usually, buyers and sellers conduct transactions informally. This can be a huge bonus for many who prefer more freedom in their transactions.