Building customer trust and developing a technology-enabled supply chain is what e-commerce solutions provider Etaily, a new player in providing end-to-end omnichannel services to online enterprises, emphasized during the first iteration of its thought leadership series dedicated for the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry.
The one-day exclusive in-person event, part of “Etail Insider: an eCommerce Roundtable Series hosted by Etaily”, was attended by business decision-makers from companies like Colourette and Century Pacific, and marketplaces Lazada and TikTok Shop.
At the culmination of the event held in BGC, two core ideas rose from the discussions: digital e-commerce enterprises will need to understand the changing demands of digital customers, and technology will play a crucial part in improving business resilience that can adapt to the shifting landscape.
As an overview of the current e-commerce landscape, Etaily FMCG director Alexandra Garcia said that there is already demand from most FMCG brands who are still in the foundational stage of their respective e-commerce channels in terms of building and understanding.
“With more people buying online, the companies realize they do not have their eCommerce capabilities set up, and they must double-time to have the result that they want. They also realize that they need experts, and this is where Etaily comes in,” Garcia said.
Etaily CEO and co-founder Alexander Friedhoff said there are also two ways that a brand can prepare for the post-pandemic digital era: building customer trust and loyalty and setting-up a multi-location tech-enabled efficient supply chain.
“A lot of retailers are having a lot of challenges in terms of complexity, meeting customer expectations, change management, budget constraints, and technology. We founded Etaily to basically support them with an end-to-end one-stop solution in building, managing, and scaling their e-commerce activities,” he shared in an earlier statement.
Based on Kantar’s latest report on the FMCG market in the Philippines, almost all househald brands were able to retain their spot in the Top 10 most chosen brands, with Lucky Me leading the pack, despite the challenging market post-pandemic.
“With slow but steady recovery for the Philippines FMCG market, it’s important for brands to continue to consider how to expand their buyer base and feature back into the baskets of consumers. We expect 2022 to be a year of recovery for FMCG as we observe the first signs of the new normal,” said Mari-Anne Lezoraine, general manager of Kantar Philippines – Worldpanel Division.
Versus neighboring countries, Lezoraine said the Philippines’ FMCG market remains challenging despite signs of improvement spurred by increased mobility and economic recovery. Although the pandemic caused disruptions to the shopping habits of consumers, sari-sari stores continue to be highly relevant due to proximity and convenience, she said.
As an omni-channel services provider, Etaily offers services from operations (whether its marketplace, social, or direct-to-consumer), creative productions, customer relationship management, performance or influencer marketing, and even data and technology.
An Applause survey last November showed that 66% of respondents prefer a merchant offering an omnichannel experience and 35.6% consider parting with a brand with poor or unsafe omnichannel experience. Meanwhile, an Accenture study revealed that social network shopping is expected to grow three faster than traditional channels over the next three years.
“E-commerce is ingrained in our daily lives and here to stay. What is important right now is bridging the experience from offline to online. We are seeing the demand for beauty products because we see people more often than before,” said Joey Ermita Bienvenida, FMCG senior category manager of digital marketplace Lazada.
Prior to the event, Etaily was chosen by Century Pacific to manage its digital assets and ensure that its online presence was seamless. In three months, the company’s newest pet brand “Goodest” was already ranking high in Shopee and Lazada.
“Know your territory and your customer if you want to succeed in the digital frontier. We went at digital 100% and tried things that Century hasn’t done. Because of that, it was important for us to have partners like Etaily. We learned so much from them in a short time,” remarked Alexander Lim, Century Pacific’s head of Innovations and general manager for Pet Food.
Etaily said this will the first of many events where the company will be featuring its partners in the FMCG sector, as well as discussing the emerging trends in the industry.
