One of the small joys in quarantine has been receiving parcels from Lazada and Shopee! I know I bought it, but it always feels like a surprise gift everything it arrives. 😅 It's become a small addiction.
For those of you who enjoy online shopping, you're likely going to know everything I'm about to share. But for those who have just started enjoying the monthly (bi-monthly na diay) sales in both PH e-commerce sites, here's a quick comparison:
Quality Winner : Lazada
Delivery Time Winner: Lazada
Delivery Time Winner: Lazada
Savings Winner: Shopee
Refund Assurance Winner: Shopee
Freebie Winner (during mega sales): Lazada
Overall Value for Money Winner: Lazada
Quality
- Both Lazada and Shopee have a "mall" that guarantees authenticity
- Official stores on both stores are generally the same in quality
- But for the sheer number of stores in Lazmall versus Shopee Mall, Lazada wins this criteria
- Important to note that "unofficial" stores on Lazmall and Shopee mall still need to be scrutinized. Always check reviews and the store performance metrics (chat response, prompt delivery, etc.). Due diligence is still important.
Delivery Time to Cebu
- Typhoons and COVID lockdowns withstanding, Lazada can deliver in 3 days to Cebu. In the recent months, I've had multiple deliveries that were delivered in less than a week, which is fantastic!
- Shopee's default option (economy shipping) is cheaper than Lazada's shipping, but on average it has taken 2.5-3 weeks to arrive in Cebu. It has initially caused me stress since deliveries often come on the last days of the "Guaranteed Refund" window. This window is 7 days from your parcel's expected arrival. So if you're OC, this may drive you a little bonkers.
- Compare Lazada's 3 days to Shopee's 3 weeks, and you can understand why this is an impressive key differentiator for Lazada.
Savings
- Expensive shipping is one of my biggest peeves, so my favorite voucher is - no surprise - free shipping. Ok na lang even if it's just a discount for shipping basta makuhaan. Lagot kaayo ning crazy shipping fees! Shopee provides more of these free/discounted shipping vouchers than Lazada.
- Shopee also has generous cashback vouchers. The app user interface also allows you to add both the shipping and cashback vouchers (compounded or on on top of the other) during checkout, so it's a cinch to use and provides a significant total discount. Everyone loves that!
- The coins from the Shopee cashbacks are like additional surprise gifts when you have them on your app wallet. P50-P150 off on a P300 purchase is a recipe for joy!
Refund Assurance
- Shopee does not automatically release your payment to the seller. It has a "guarantee refund" window that allows you to check the items and determine if it's damaged or lacking. If you're happy with it, you can manually release the payment by clicking the button on the app. Otherwise, the payment is released to the seller only on the 7th day after your parcel's expected arrival.
- The Shopee guarantee user interface is also intuitive and easy to use.
Freebie Winner
- Lazada showcases this strength the most for Lazmall items. If you see a Cetaphil promo happening simultaneously on Lazada and Shopee, more often than not Lazada will give you more freebies. Freebies spark joy!
Overall Value for Money Winner
- For me, it's really Lazada. High quality items, freebies, and quick deliveries means I'm more satisfied with them overall.
- I still use Shopee when I'm feeling thrifty. But if the prices are close, I will always choose Lazada because of the quick delivery to Cebu.
Happy shopping!
