Laptops, dogs top online searches among Filipino shoppers — iPrice

Laptops, smartphones, and tablets were among the most popular items among online shoppers in the Philippines this year, according to a study by Southeast Asian meta-search website iPrice, as pandemic restrictions kept people at home.

Many potentially purchased these items to “enhance their work- or study-from-home experience,” the e-commerce aggregator said in the report.

This was also the case in neighboring countries Malaysia and Singapore, where extended lockdowns were put in place throughout 2021.

In the Philippines, the top five most browsed items included refrigerators and bicycles as well, reflecting how people adjusted differently to sedentary lifestyles — by stocking up on food or by finding ways to stay active.

Cakes also ranked high for Filipinos, according to iPrice, with bakeshop Red Ribbon being a widely searched brand. The meta-search website added that desserts were popular due to the need to celebrate “vital moments such as birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and other significant events while at home.”

Across Southeast Asia, iPrice also found that there was a 57% increase in searches for romantic gifts in January 2021, compared to the same period in 2020. For those without partners, the search for pets doubled year-on-year, with Filipinos looking for dogs in particular, around five times more than cats.

On a serious note, the e-commerce aggregator previously detected a 59% increase in Filipinos’ searches for mental health services in the first five months of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020.

There was a similar surge in Indonesia and Malaysia, showing that despite the availability of retail therapy, Southeast Asian consumers still suffered mental health issues over the pandemic. — Brontë H. Lacsamana