Being a self-confessed online shopaholic, I prefer getting my purchases on the internet rather than stepping out of my house. And I am not alone. Online shopping in Singapore has been gaining traction for the past five years. Singaporeans, together with our Malaysian neighbours, account for almost half of the online retail sales in Southeast Asia. This is no mean feat for a country as small as Singapore. By the end of 2015, the online retail sales market in Singapore is expected to be worth about $4.4 billion dollars. So, what is exactly the draw of online shopping?
For one. online shopping affords you the luxury of being able to browse through hundreds of catalogues in the comfort of your home without having to squeeze through the crowds at shopping malls. Also, online shopping allows you to get your hands on certain brands and styles that are not available in Singapore. Lastly, the prices online are much cheaper than the physical stores. Sites such as Bookdepot offer books at prices less that half of what they are sold for in physical stores here, with free shipping and no minimum spending! Ever since I started on shopping online four years ago, I have managed to save about a couple of hundred dollars. With strategic planning, saving money on online purchases is not difficult at all. Here are some tips on how you can save on your online purchases:
- Promo, Coupon codes
These promo and coupon codes are literally sitting there waiting to be used! The coupon codes usually gives a certain percentage of discount or just gives you a fixed amount (like $10) off. Some sites do allow the use of multiple coupons so remember to stack them correctly to get the most discount. Quick tip: Use the coupon code that gives a percentage discount before utilising the code that gives a fixed amount off. Doing this will help you save a lot more money!
Also, I’ve downloaded the Honey app from the Google Chrome Store where the app automatically searches for any coupon codes on the store that you are browsing and applies them for you during checkout. This saves you the hassle of looking out for promo codes.
- Cashback
The idea of cashback originated in the United States and since then, cashback has started to gain popularity around the world. The idea is simple; these cashback sites just serve as a form of an advertising platform for brands, getting commission when you purchase an item from a store through a cashback website. This commission is then split with you, giving you a portion of your cash back as rebate.
Cashback websites like ShopBack boasts a wide selection of stores that you can buy from, ranging from Groupon to Zalora and Foodpanda. The best thing? You are able to get cashback on top of coupon and promo codes from the website. That is like a double discount you are getting which translate to even more savings for the online shopper.
- Comparision Shopping
Many shoppers like to purchase things on impulse. However, what I have learnt from past experiences is that the same item can be priced differently. Lazy shoppers just check out immediately but spending a little bit more time to browse around can help you save money. I onced saved $60 just by doing that due to a huge promotion going on in one of the websites. Alternatively, use some price comparison app like shopsavvy where you will get a summary of the different prices offered for the same item.
- Free shipping
One negative thing about shopping online is having to pay for shipping fees that sometimes do not come really cheap. Get around this by shopping on websites that offer free shipping. Major websites like Amazon, ShopBop, Book Depository and more ship to Singapore completely free of charge. Just search “free shipping website Singapore” on Google and a whole list of websites that offer this service will come up!
- Loyalty Program
With so many choices today for consumers to choose from, there is intense competition for websites to retain customers. Some websites have a loyalty program to attract returning customers. If you are a frequent customer to a certain brand, sign up for an account. This would allow loyalty points to accumulate in your name which would translate to certain discounts after you hit a certain number of points. Furthermore, you will be informed of upcoming promotions and deals and some online retail stores even have members-only sales.
Overall, shopping online can be a great and convenient way to make your purchase. As long as you shop intelligently, shopping online will be a simple, cheap and fun. Your wallet will be thanking you in the long run!
Hui Min is a shopaholic and a serious bargain hunter who soughts to save as much as she can for her next shopping list. Deals and sales are what she lives for and she gets the adrenaline rush whenever she gets the most bang out of her buck, so this is why HuiMin joined up with cashback website ShopBack Singapore .
