Handy tips for online shopping in Phuket

PHUKET: Online shopping is so easily accessible these days that even those residing on islands can benefit from its perks while enjoying island life to the maximum. While websites like eBay and Amazon are dominating the West, e-commerce is only starting to grow here in Southeast Asia.

According to Statista, the number of users in Thailand’s e-commerce market is expected to increase from 12.1 million this year to 13.9mn by 2021.

This means there’s plenty of room for more e-commerce retail websites to grow and expand here. As online shopping develops into something much bigger, it opens a gateway to other businesses as well. Shopcoupons is one which has seized the opportunity to grow with it.

One of the reasons people favor online shopping over traditional retail shopping in malls is the heavy road traffic one has to brave just to get to the mall. Most would opt to place orders in the comfort of their own home or office to save time and money. Additionally, shopping on line costs less for the consumer as the goods bought are generally cheaper than they are in bricks-and-mortar outlets. To maximize the online shopping advantage, here are a few tips on how to save even more on your online purchases.

First, wait for big sale seasons. Just like a traditional shopping routine, the best time to shop would be during big sales like Thailand’s ‘Amazing Grand Sale’ which occurs from mid-June until mid-August. During this period, online stores have sales as well and consumers have more options to choose from. Well-known websites such as Lazada have massive sales with games, huge never-before-seen discounts, and flash sales. This is when shoppers should fully take advantage of the season and shop.

Next, use credit cards which offer cash rebates for online transactions. There are a number of banks offering credit cards which give you cash back when you spend on line. Another alternative is to get a credit card which gives you extra discounts with multiple e-commerce stores. Some websites have special bank discounts on selected days of the week. If you’re able to get a card which offers cash back and extra discounts, you’ll be able to reap more in return.

Finally, make full use of coupon codes. As online shopping is still fairly new in certain regions of Southeast Asia, many people are still new to the idea of using virtual voucher codes to gain additional savings. In the West, such websites providing numerous deals and discount codes are common. With hundreds of deals and codes for well-known e-commerce giants such as Zalora, Lazada, Konvy and more, Shopcoupons is a trusted provider of promo codes and deals in Thailand.

Some coupon codes are only applicable for selected items, whereas some are for store-wide use. Sign up as a member of Shopcoupons for free and save your favorite stores to be alerted immediately when their codes are updated.

There you have it – short but sweet tips for making the most of your online shopping experience.

— Susan Arnold