AirAsia launches e-shopping in PHL; food delivery, e-wallet to follow

AFTER launching its online shopping platform in the Philippines, AirAsia Group Berhad is also hoping to make its food delivery and digital wallet services available to Filipino consumers soon.

The airline group officially launched its AirAsia Shop in the Philippines on Thursday, as part of its strategy to expand its e-commerce presence in Southeast Asia.

AirAsia first launched its online shop in Malaysia in the second quarter of 2020, according to Rose Lam, AirAsia’s head of ancillary.

After its launch in the Philippines, the group will be working towards opening the platform for consumers in Thailand and Malaysia, she said at a virtual briefing.

AirAsia Group Chief Executive Officer Anthony Francis “Tony” Fernandes said: “I hope AirAsia Food will be launched in the Philippines in the not-too-distant future…”

“We are now actually working to launch BigPay, which is similar to GCash,” he added.

The group is currently focusing on restructuring its business to weather the pandemic crisis, as travel behavior is expected to return to normal by 2022.

The group has also launched a delivery service in the Philippines through its logistics tech venture, Teleport.

Its online shopping platform is an attempt to redefine Filipinos’ duty-free, travel retail, and at-home shopping experiences, according to Philippines AirAsia Chief Executive Officer Ricardo P. Isla.

“As industries shift and continue to be shaped by our current situation, AirAsia will continue to innovate amazing product offerings and experiences for our guests and customers, which is why AirAsia is the leading travel, lifestyle, and digital platform in the region,” he said at the briefing.

Among the product categories found on AirAsia’s online shopping platform are beauty, fashion, electronics and gadgets, and health and wellness. — Arjay L. Balinbin