What have Filipinos been looking for online?

Things are very tough these days and getting savings through online shopping have been really easy especially these days when people can't go out, and the only way we could transact is online. I've been using Carousell for a couple of years now. In the app, I've had really good finds especially the film photography products I adore. I also found several chairs, bar tables and computer products in the app which makes things easier for me especially when I look for users who are quite near me so it would be easy and safer to transact. People have been also getting cars and real estate properties here since it's still doing the same things they've been doing in OLX which was originally their platform. I'm so glad this existed especially during the pandemic.

Carousell was also quite nice when they waived fees for some of the transactions especially for the automotive market. That in itself is a huge help especially for businesses who are also suffering economically. They also launched #ChooseToCare which is a fundraiser for the benefit of Lung Center of the Philippines. They also held The Great Property Sale so they could give discounts and more relief for people who were finding homes during the pandemic.

What's great is that Kantar research revealed that 80% of Filipinos are actually okay with re-gifting. These days, Filipinos are apparently searching more for iPhone and Samsung, gaming consoles like Nintendo Switch or PS4, desinger brands like Louis Vuitton or fast fashion items from Zara. They are also looking for Macbooks from Apple, notebooks from Asus, while some look for second hand cars like BMW and Toyota. With some of the items in Carousell being pre loved or second hand, it would be a nice place to find these mobile phones, laptops, bags or stuff you need around the house. If you haven't tried Carousell yet, or perhaps want to sell something too, go download it off Google Play and the App Store, because it's convenient to find stuff there.

Try it out!

Erwan Heussaff and Carousell Encourages REBOXING so #EveryoneWins

It was a really crazy night in EDSA (a few weeks ago) but I had to be in Chingolo, the new private dining restaurant of YouTube sensation Erwan Heussaff. He joined forces with popular selling app Carousell to encourage people to do a lot of REBOXING so #EveryoneWins. Like Erwan, I know a lot of people who hoard stuff in their homes especially bloggers who receive a lot of mail and end up just throwing it out later on. Instead of just unboxing these items for content, Carousell would like to see if you could kindly rebox it and pass it off to someone who actually needs it. That's gonna be a lot of help for people who not only would be able to use it, but who knows, maybe help them fulfill their dreams!

After being launched in 2016 in the PH, Carousell is creating more possibilities as they campaign for more buy and sell activities in your community. Selling random things such as cars, plates, pots and pans, their community always thrives because somebody out there that needs your stuff. Because of their platform, people who want affordable but working stuff which can bring you places.

It’s human against human, Carousell is now in 6 countries and as of now, there are millions of transactions. In this case, everyone wins!

He showed us his latest baby (before the real one comes) which is Chingolo. He mentions "We named the place this way just because we thought the term was fun and amusing. We plan to only have a few tables, to serve courses to guests who reserve ahead, for a more intimate setting." The food was absolutely good, and with the reboxed items in Erwan Heussaff's account, he also threw in a cooking session to the delight of one unsuspecting Carousell user. She is Nicole Jastive, a culinary arts student from La Salle. She wishes to become a Michelin Star Chef, and since she wished for it, Erwan got a lot of his restaurant essentials, a seasoned iron skillet, and this opportunity to cook with him that evening.

Let's just say, this happened.

Fresh crunchy salad with slivers of parmesan cheese.

This was like Gordon Ramsay's Beef Wellington sans the steak but had roasted vegetables in it. It was good!

The Dirty Rice, with sliced steak in it too. 

As you may know, Erwan gets his meat from Argentina and his friend Nico Bolzico. It was more lean rather than its fatty cousins from the US. The steak deserves it's own country code, it was that good.

The desserts were awesome too. 

Erwan personally whipped up cocktails for us before the festivities. I just took this photo for the ladies haha!

Marita Galvez the Country Marketing Manager for Carousell says "People who unbox probably have a lot of stash on their coffers.  This is why Erwan, Moira and Mari Jasmin prepared a box of their old stuff and got it on the platform, to have someone win it too!"

Nicole absolutely loved what Erwan put out on the platform. Moira and Mari Jasmine also shared their personal stuff (like guitars and travel essentials) because they believe in this cause. All you need to do is do the same, rebox your stuff and let someone make use of it. Who knows, that next artists could make their dreams come true if you just helped make that happen!

So come on and join Erwan, Mari Jasmine, Moira, me and tons of people who will try and do a lot of REBOXING today... go ahead and put them on Carousell.

OLX Starts Carousell PH Merge July 15

It looks like OLX will cease to exist anymore as they merge operations with retail platform app Carousell this coming July 15, 2019. They have been asking permission to transfer accounts in the past few weeks but if users prefer to create new accounts, they can do that or just simply merge accounts if details are the same. Data is safe during this time and transactions will be done on the Carousell app once OLX becomes inaccessible in the coming days. But this is good news for people looking for bigger, better deals as they expand their active user base in the country. 

Raffy Montemayor GM of Carousell PH says “We are super grateful for your support all these years. OLX and Carousell has enormous potential in the Philippines and we have built strong, highly engaging platforms so we can help more Filipinos in the future. We have been working a lot on Carousell and on July 15, we will be migrating to the platform. Getting back from silicon valley, they thought about a platform that is simple and social. They won a hackathon and people got interested in their service. Carousell is now a big classifieds platform. We are already present in 6 markets including the Philippines and we have raised funds to expand in these markets. We are working on making our users find items easier. We also have searches by images rather than text, but we have a long way to go. There’s a lot of excitement over the time we have asked people to transfer to Carousell. We’ll have channels wherein you can post your complaints and we can come back to you in your chosen platform. We encourage our users to create new accounts or just simply allow to transfer accounts with their consent.” 

Property24’s Tina Bautista says “I am excited to tell you how his will help our property platform. It has been here since 2013 and is for serious brokers, agents and buyers. We have seen growth in the country, almost 3x than we started and the partnership of Property24, OLX and Carousell. Combining these will get the audience in one place, a more diverse audience because it will be cross posted as well. That’s exciting news!” 

Marita Galvez the Marketing Manager of Carousell PH says “I look after the community, I make sure it is happy and engaged. We have built a different ecommerce site which are different. In Carousell, Maine Mendoza has funded things for a good cause, Nehro sells gadgets as a side income, and Tere sells vintage clothing as her passion. All these stories are inside Carousell and it has been our mission to inspire, to make possibilities in and out the app. If you upload a photo, the AI knows what it is, so I could post this moisturizer I don’t need in 26 seconds. You can also chat inside the app, chat up of you need to ask questions. Review the user after the transaction. We also have groups, join in discussions if you need more recommendations. To move your OLX account, it will scan if you have an existing one and it will put them together. You can do that with a few clicks.” 

For those who would want to have the app, download it off iOS App Store or Google Play. Now with a larger audience, this will have the way for the company to grow. Can't wait to see how they make the company grow in the next few months, I guess they're going to be excessive with pressure but nothing that we can't handle. 

Congratulations on your success! I'll be trying this app now and have just installed it on my phone. I am already seeing cheaper prices and it could be more after OLX accounts come in.