Online shopping is still very fresh and foreign to Pakistan’s population of 200mil. The introduction of 3G in 2014, accompanied by the rise of affordable smartphones across the nation caused a boom in the e-commerce sector.
Although many still seem skeptical to the idea of purchasing items online without getting to see, test or try the product(s), the market is growing – albeit slowly, due to influence from both the West and East. Contrary to popular belief, shopping online really isn’t that difficult. Here are some tips we believe will come in handy when you decide to make your first purchase from the web.
Compare, compare, compare
Just like traditional offline shopping, it is a must to conduct your own research and comparison across various online stores. Because of the growth in the e-commerce industry, more online stores are being set up which in return, means more choices for the consumers. As the market grows to become more competitive, merchants have no choice but to lower their prices while maintaining the quality of products being sold on their web-stores. For now, most large online stores like Daraz.pk and Kaymu.pk do not have loyalty programs implemented, so shop wherever you want while you still can.
Wait for big sale seasons
If you thought diamonds are a woman’s best friend, you thought wrong. It would be more accurate to say that sales are a woman’s best friend – and a man’s best friend too because of the amount of money you can save on your woman’s shopping. Just like offline retail shopping, it is during times like these when you get the most out of your spending. Discounts can go up to as much as 90% and you get to enjoy limited offers like flash sales, bundle buys, free shipping and more. Daraz’s Black Friday sale in 2016 broke records by achieving the country’s first PKR one billion sales. Is that not convincing enough?
Fully utilize discount codes
Although still not very common here, discount codes are aplenty in the West and steadily growing in Southeast Asia due to coupon codes being a favorite among shoppers. In Pakistan, Shopcoupons is one such provider of discount codes and deals from large online stores like Daraz and Yayvo. You’ll finally be able to locate that Daraz discount code which gives you an extra 10% off your cart! Shopcoupons is not only reliable, but free of charge too. There are many types of discount codes for you to pick from – from storewide codes to codes for selected categories. Getting additional discounts on your shopping will never be the same again.
Use bank cards and payment partners
To encourage spending, e-commerce stores have teamed up with banks and payment partners by giving customers additional discounts when they spend via selected bank cards or payment partners. For example, if you spend at Daraz with your Silk Bank card on Tuesday, you get to enjoy an extra 20% off selected items. Payment partners like Jazzcash and Easy Pay also often collaborate with these giant e-commerce stores during sale periods to provide discounts of up to 20% when shoppers use their services.
Being a pro at online shopping really isn’t that difficult, especially since you’ve already gotten to know the secrets of becoming one! Remember to keep our tips in mind and just keep stacking those discounts to get the best value-for-money out of your shopping spree.