Local Products Fuel Business Growth and Empower Communities

Winners of Shopee Celebrates Local campaign share how locally-made products impact the lives of other Filipinos

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, continues to support local sellers through the #TatakPinoy: Shopee Celebrates Local campaign. During the campaign, Shopee held a contest where users voted for their favorite among 12 Filipino sellers. Uniq.mnl, Chelssydresstaytay, and Mighty Clean emerged as the top three winners, where they not only exemplified excellence in their businesses but also supported the community by providing job opportunities amidst difficult times.

Sharing their success to empower others

Sisters Ira and Ireen Cruz have been in the garment industry for five years, but when the pandemic hit in March 2020, their business was greatly affected. Instead of cutting their losses and ceasing operations, the siblings decided to try selling online through Shopee. Their business flourished and they have been consistently hitting their sales targets. The shop’s significant growth also led to more employment opportunities for skilled Filipinos specializing in garments, a point of pride for the entrepreneurs.

Ira Cruz, Owner of Uniq.mnl, said, “It was such an honor to be part of the ‘Shopee Celebrates Local’ campaign. We are happy to be able to provide job opportunities to our community. It is the most rewarding experience of all and we are truly blessed with loyal staff. Since we started, we have grown the team from a handful to now over 50 staff members. We hope to pay it forward and be able to offer more jobs to help improve the livelihood of the people around us.”

In addition, they continue to encourage their team members, resellers, and other small business owners to explore and try out e-commerce and help others find a way to earn a living during this time.

Providing locally-made quality products for the Filipino household

Second runner-up Mighty Clean has been manufacturing household chemicals that fit the needs of every Filipino home since 2004. With a desire for continuous improvement through extensive research and development, Mighty Clean stays true to its promise of providing consumers with high-quality products at affordable prices.

Mico Cruz, Brand Manager at Mighty Clean, said, “We strive to create a difference in every Filipino’s household through high quality and value for money products. With Shopee’s support, we were able to grow and provide our customers with the kind of products and services that they deserve. ”

Like Uniq.mnl, Mighty Clean pivoted to e-commerce in March 2020– a move that allowed them to thrive as they reached even more customers nationwide. Through Shopee’s extensive seller support tools and initiatives, Mighty Clean is able to grow brand awareness through innovative ways, and attract more customers by giving them deals such as flash sales, vouchers, discount promotions, bundle deals, and many more.

Catering to the Filipina’s fashion needs

First runner-up Rochelle Estandarte started joining bazaars and night markets when she was still in college. Armed with her love for fashion and the help of her mother who has been in the industry for 20 years, she began her own clothing business in 2005. 

Rochelle’s keen eye and ability to keep a pulse on Filipinas’ evolving fashion needs led to the growth of her sales and orders, as well as an increase in followers. After taking her business online in 2020, she was also able to hire more employees, giving other Filipinos an opportunity to earn and provide for their families amid the pandemic. She attributes her success to Shopee’s marketing tools, campaigns, and support from relationship managers who helped her and her team understand the industry easily.

Rochelle Estandarte, Owner of Chelssdresstaytay, said, “ We are very proud to market our locally-made apparel. We design our clothes with Filipinos in mind and are happy to say that our products are also well-loved by shoppers overseas as well. Since my mother has been in this business for the past 20 years, I picked up a few lessons on ladies’ fashion trends, allowing me to provide a wider variety of clothing pieces that Filipinas can enjoy wearing. We are also grateful for all the support we have received from Shopee and we strive to scale our business further on Shopee.”

These entrepreneurs are only three of the many MSMEs who found success and thrived on the e-commerce platform. At Shopee, sellers can leverage the extensive marketing tools, participate in monthly campaigns, and learn how to maximize the e-commerce landscape through proper guidance and support through the Shopee Seller Education Hub.

For current and aspiring entrepreneurs looking to grow their business online, learn more about Getting Started on Shopee here.