Insider Spotlight
The e-commerce platform highlighted the journeys of Tech Smart Philippines founder Christopher Bautista and Samara Baby & Kids founder Jennalyn Indigado, both members of Shopee's Seller Expert Panel.
Their experiences illustrate how seller education, platform tools, campaign participation, and account management have supported their businesses beyond providing an online marketplace.
Why it matters
As more Filipino MSMEs embrace digital commerce, access to training and business support is becoming an increasingly important factor in helping entrepreneurs navigate changing market conditions and sustain long-term growth.
Indigado entered e-commerce after African swine fever disrupted her family's decades-old hog-raising business in 2019. Looking for an alternative source of income, she established Samara Baby & Kids after identifying demand for baby clothing products.
“Coming from agriculture, we had very little knowledge about garments, e-commerce, or digital marketing. That was all new to us,” she said in a press statement.
She credited Shopee's seller programs with providing guidance on sales, marketing, inventory management, customer insights, and financial management.
“Kinaya namin ‘yung journey kasi Shopee made it possible,” Jennalyn said. “Para siyang nag-create ng blueprint na susundan ko na lang siya step-by-step.”
(We made it through the journey because Shopee made it possible,” Jennalyn said. “It was like Shopee created a blueprint that I could simply follow, step by step.)
The bigger picture
Shopee said account managers also helped sellers expand through campaign participation, business reviews, and operational guidance as their businesses grew.
Indigado said the platform's support enabled Samara Baby & Kids to expand to 700 products, attract 1.7 million followers, and employ around 400 people after eight years on Shopee.
Meanwhile, Bautista built Tech Smart Philippines by addressing demand for hard-to-find technology accessories in the Philippines.
He said Shopee University, along with platform initiatives such as Free Shipping, Mega Vouchers, and Shopee Ads, helped the business improve pricing strategies and reach more customers.
“It is one of the good resources they offer,” he said.
Bautista said the seller education hub is helpful because its guides are easy to understand even without formal training. He added that the pricing computation tool serves as a useful reference in setting fair prices for customers.
Bautista added that customer trust remains central to long-term success.
“Focus on building your brand while delivering excellent customer service. Because when you have a good reputation, customers will come back to you even if you're priced slightly higher than others,” he added. —Vanessa Hidalgo | Ed: Corrie S Narisma
