The conventional shopping channel is via physical shops with online gaining popularity for convenience, pricing edge and searching ease.
Passive online shopping through Lazada and Shopee has lately
been supplemented with live online where human sellers display, present and
model their goods to streaming potential buyers interacting with them.
Behavior changed, new lingoes are introduced, and a new
outlet of spending game changed shopping and commerce requiring logging in the
internet.
“Flex.
Profile. Comment. Code. Mine. Yours. Screenshot. SSD. Check out. Follow.” Words
one must be familiar with to navigate and to complete a transaction in a live
online selling.
Looking for a blazer, it led me to TikTok live online
selling based in Baguio. To my amazement, the three shops specializing in
pre-loved blazers for men I’ve been directed to owned by a sole entity have
about hundreds of apparels for all user sizes, shapes, informal and formal
occasions paraded starting 8 a.m. to midnight.
How can one select given sizes and preferences must be
matched? Online selling has sharpened the system with a structured approach.
This initial parade triggers a series of presentations on
colors, design, fabric, buttons, back slits, inner lining and pricing. Price is
a surprise as it just ranges from P350 to P700 for the branded and premium
items.
The good sellers interact with the buyer suggesting even
occasion suit can be used. Other than the usual debut, wedding, travel they
mention other interesting occasions such as events hosting, court hearing and
would you believe, thesis defense.
Attending to one buyer at a time, when one selects an item,
he claims in the comment section “mine” plus the code given. Sellers from the
shop I spotted disclose details of the suit from inner linings, buttons, slits,
issues. With a good hi-reso camera and lighting with close up capability,
texture, patterns and details are seen. The buyer is then asked to screenshot
the suit selected with price and code as reference.
The critical step is in entering the order using the yellow
basket, choosing modes of payment from COD, credit/debit cards and GCash.
Seller patiently guides the buyer on steps to do from choosing the price,
putting it in the basket, writing the delivery address, and putting the data in
the basket.
The shop partnered with J&T where costing is
surprisingly about the cost of a special tricycle rate considering transport
from Benguet to Metro Manila in 2 days. Tracking number is provided navigating
through their profile chat.
While this system of shopping is quite new, one who is open
to change can easily adopt. When the seller addresses all the buyers’ concerns
without pressuring the buyer to claim mine and checkout, the buyer feels the
power.
As a social science observer, I wish to explore further how
this approach picked up, the system developed, how the sellers developed their
skills set to be good at online selling and how it gained traction generating
income for the shop owners challenging the more established physical stores.
Disclaimer: This positive experience is simply based on a
live online selling of one entity. Other accounts have different approaches.
