Gifts off the Net
CEBU, Philippines - Just as how Christmas trees have gone though countless reincarnations over the years, the annual pilgrimage known as Christmas Shopping has had its own share of innovations and reinventions, with shopping online for gifts and tokens being one of its newest.
From forum sites to dedicated online shopping portals, below are some of the more popular venues where unique Christmas gifts can be readily found, with these venues bearing a local-logistics flavor for Cebuanos.
Zalora Philippines
Launched in the last quarter of 2011, Zalora Philippines has effectively redefined online shopping standards in the Philippines, featuring practical payment and delivery options which work to the advantage of Filipino online shoppers.
As the use of credit cards or debit cards are the longstanding means of purchasing anything online, Zalora Philippines highlights an alternative cash-on-delivery payment method, which is backed by its fleet of Z-Riders - delivery couriers, if you will - whose services makes the whole process of purchasing items online convenient for shoppers.
Carrying a diverse range of local and international brands, Zalora features fashion and accessories items for men, women and children, as well as sporting goods and equipment options, home and kitchen essentials, beauty products and more.
Istorya.net
www.istorya.net/forums/buy-sell-trade-classifieds
As an online entity, Istorya.net is not exactly a dedicated shopping portal, but is more specifically a forum site that is focused on everything Cebu.
Featuring sub-sections hosting discussions which delve into relationships, campus life, employment options and more, the site also features a classifieds section, one where site visitors and forum members can find information about ongoing sales and for-sale advertisements.
The section also features ads for second hand goods, mostly populated with electronic gadgets like cell phones, digital cameras, and laptops. With most for-sale announcements in Istora.net authored by Cebuanos, interested buyers can readily contact sellers, and make meet up schedule arrangements for purchases.
As convenient as Istorya.net's classified section is, caution is advised when it comes to payments and money-driven transactions. Given that most of its classifieds' sellers are based in Cebu, the option of meeting up with sellers (then pay for the item in question) stands to be a smart move for online shoppers.
Facebook Gifts
http://www.facebook.com/about/gifts
Though the Philippines, as of writing, is still not part of this unique service feature's area of coverage, Facebook Gifts proves to be an interesting new Facebook feature, given how ingrained the online social network giant has become as a part of daily life.
As its name would already imply, Facebook Gifts is primed as a venue where Facebook users can find gifts for friends and loved ones, partnering with the different online sales portals of various entities, allowing users to easily find different gifts for special occasions and holidays.
The service recently made waves in announcing that iTunes digital gift cards could now be found in the service, allowing those who receive iTunes digital gift cards with the means of purchasing songs, movies and other digital content available in iTunes.
As already mentioned, Facebook Gifts still doesn't cover the Philippines, but who knows, it just may go live just as the holiday season goes on full swing. (FREEMAN)
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