How big data can benefit retailers according to Adobomall and Kris Aquino

Adobomall is the newest contender in the Philippine online shopping market, challenging e‑commerce giants Lazada and Zalora with brandname stores that can make it seem close as possible to shopping in a real‑life mall — and with none other than media giant Kris Aquino as brand ambassador.

The goal of Adobomall is to bring the feeling of visiting an actual brick and mortar mall — something that Innerworks CEO and Adobomall founder Walt Steven Young believes has become very much a part of modern Filipino culture. That’s why every visit to every online shopfront in Adobomall is different: Audiophile’s storefront will look different from Kipling’s from Chris Sports’, just like how they would look different in an actual mall.

But making a new e‑commerce platform isn’t as easy as “if you build it, they will come.” There has to be a reason for these merchants to want to sell on your online mall. So what Adobomall did to set itself apart from the e‑commerce platform is deliver real‑time customer insight and information— big data— to their merchants.

That could be the key ticket to attracting that sector. With real‑time information on the number of clicks or visitors their store gets, how long people linger on certain displays and which products are popular, merchants can be able to make key decisions that could net them more profit.

“The numbers will be integrated every time they look at [their store],” Young told SparkUp. “When they know their numbers, they can easily adjust. They don’t need to wait for month or a week or for someone to count for them. It’s in their hands.”

The practical application to big data came from Aquino herself, as she cited how knowing consumer trends is beneficial to two of her business ventures: cinema food staples Potato Corner and Nacho Bimby. “Something like this where you would know what’s moving would make it easier for you to calibrate what you have to order,” she told SparkUp. “Kasi sa amin, we have to place those orders on a weekly basis. So with [Adobomall’s] set‑up it would make it so much faster as a retailer because then you would know what’s moving faster, and you don’t want to get stuck with inventory that’s not moving.”

“You really need to know what your consumer habits are,” Aquino said, adding that consumer trends would also make it easier for retailers to combine operations and services that would not only make inventory move faster but also give customers more value for their money. “So if you put your store inside Adobomall, what’s going to happen is that your data will be given to you. And then you’ll know that wow eto yung gumalaw. This is what people are buying. So this I know is what I should order, especially because some orders take time.”

Why is it important to keep your products moving? “Inventory takes cash, and I don’t want my cash to sleep,” the celebrity explained. “Everyone wants to make money, and what Walt is going to do is he’ll assist those who are selling to know what to stock.”

That’s not all the data Adobomall will provide its merchants. They will also provide data on which products people are looking at but not buying. “You know that they want it,” Young explained. “Now you can decide if it’s because of a price issue or another issue, and you can fix it to see what works.” Lingering, or how long a customer stayed to look at a particular item, is also another number that big data can provide that can be beneficial to a brick and mortar retailer, to show whether or not the product is something that people buy not on impulse but after careful planning and consideration.

Currently Adobomall has three “floors” dedicated to brand‑centered stores (ex. Barbie, Apple, Samsung), authentic retailers (ex. Audiophile, Chris Sports, Kipling) and restaurants (ex. Coffee ean and Tea Leaf, Sangkap, Sobremesa). With several promotions this Christmas season, the e‑commerce platform promises to provide real great finds coupled with as close an experience to brick and mortar mall shopping you could have on an online platform.