PLDT, Voyager launch concierge service of social commerce platform TackThis!

Most businesses in the Philippines - large and small - recognize the potential of eCommerce, but only few are ready for the unique challenges that come with selling to customers online.

To address this gap, Voyager Innovations (Voyager), the digital unit of PLDT and Smart, together with PLDT Alpha and PLDT SME Nation, has launched today its premium concierge service for online store creator TackThis! to over a thousand partner businesses so they can quickly and efficiently build their own branded digital commerce footprint that incorporates a seamless social shopping experience for customers.

As a platform, TackThis! enables businesses to set up their online shops in just a matter of minutes. They can then “tack” their store to Facebook and other websites and the platform facilitates the customer’s entire digital commerce journey - beginning from the point of order, through the management of inventory, and ending with fulfillment and payment.

The premium concierge service aims to enable larger retailers who need a more comprehensive suite of features on top of the basic offerings of TackThis! Together with the wide array of solutions from PLDT Alpha and PLDT SME Nation, TackThis! is seen to further boost digital commerce in the country. 

“At Voyager, we believe that eCommerce is one of the building blocks of the digital economy. TackThis! is already changing eCommerce as it integrates the social shopping experience. Meanwhile, our partners can benefit from the one-stop solution that TackThis! provides, including our enhanced concierge service,” said Mitch Padua, vice president and head of digital commerce at Voyager Innovations.

“The premium concierge service gives retailers an end-to-end service that streamlines their online store requirements. This way, businesses don’t have to allocate huge resources in maintaining their online stores. TackThis! allows them to focus on what they know best: selling their products,” said Kat Luna-Abelarde, First Vice President and Head of PLDT SME Business.

The advanced features that come as a part of the concierge service include professional services for an effortless online store creation as well as hassle-free store management of logistics, payments and customer service via a team of TackThis! Ambassadors.

The concierge service also includes store marketing via placement on Takatack, the sister site of TackThis! Takatack is now the largest online shopping discovery platform that aggregates and promotes not only offerings from the thousands of merchants who have established their online shops through TackThis!, but also products from other online stores and retailers in the country including Rocket Internet-backed Zalora and Lazada.

Tackthis! has over 30,000 merchants in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines with more than 400 merchants already part of the premium Tackthis! Concierge Program - an end to end solution tailored to get retailers selling online quickly.

An industry trend analysis released by BMI Research last July estimated that 82% of all Internet users in the country or around 22 million Filipinos shop online. Retail sales account for USD207 billion but only 0.6% accounts for online retail.

The growth rate for eCommerce is high. A 2014 study by Ken Research estimates that Philippine eCommerce can expect a 101.4% annual growth rate from 2013 through 2018 due to increasingly heavier Internet usage and mobile penetration.

Out of the over one million registered businesses in the country, it is estimated that only 1% have a website. In the past, a company would have had to hire a large development and operations team to establish their digital footprint. TackThis! provides the simplicity and ease of having an online store. TackThis! aims to help businesses tap into this huge opportunity to reach more Filipinos going and shopping online. 

To know more about TackThis!, please visit: www.tackthis.com.ph/

To know more about Takatack, please visit: www.takatack.com/

Free data access to get more rewards - Safezone powers free mobile Internet for rewards app PopSlide

Photo shows from left to right: Stephen Misa, First Vice President and Group Head, Voyager Innovations; Benjie S. Fernandez, Chief Operating Officer, Voyager; Yosuke Fukada, CEO, YOYO Holdings; and, Jim Sarmiento, Sales Director of Southeast Asia, YOYO Holdings. 

Getting free load by just swiping your lock-screen gets even easier because now, you don’t have to pay for mobile data fees as rewards app PopSlide is now fueled by SafeZone, the platform from Voyager Innovations that brings brands closer to consumers by providing access to the free side of the Internet.

With over 800,000 users in Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines, PopSlide rewards users who use its lock-screen application to display news, weather updates, announcements, features and advertisements. Once installed to the mobile phone, PopSlide gives free load to regular users of the mobile app as incentive.

Popslide is owned by YOYO Holdings Pte. Ltd, and by partnering with Voyager Innovations, both partners see further traction for PopSlide as users who will access it via SafeZone will not need to worry about incurring data charges.

Photo shows: Voyager Innovations and YOYO Holdings are bringing the PopSlide rewards app to consumers free from data charges.

SafeZone is an innovation from Voyager and it aims to connect businesses and customers by offering free data access to partner apps and sites. It is now the biggest community site as of June 2015 according to Effective Measure, with more than 2 million registered users and 6 million monthly page views. Digital brands that have partnered with SafeZone include the biggest names in travel, shopping, transportation, finance, and news.

“I’m glad to that we’re growing opportunities in the Philippines through our partnership for SafeZone. This is a good start, our first step in creating disruptive innovations in user experience across the region.” said PopSlide CEO Yosuke Fukada.

“SafeZone allows consumers to enjoy the best of the Internet without worrying about unwanted data charges. With this partnerships, PopSlide users can get rewarded more. ” said Benjie Fernandez, COO of Voyager Innovations.

SafeZone, is developed by Voyager Innovations, the digital arm of PLDT and Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), which focuses on delivering disruptive innovations for the rapidly changing digital world. 

To enjoy PopSlide on SafeZone, users may download the Popslide app from the SafeZone website, turn on the “Load Protect” feature to ensure that no data charges occur, and then use Popslide as they please. SafeZone is currently​ available for free to subscribers of Smart, Sun and TNT. 

For more information, please visit www.safezone.ph/free-services/#popslide.