MANILA — Many Filipinos have been selling products online to earn extra money as coronavirus-induced quarantines continue, according to a study.
Carousell recently released the results of its user behavior study, which showed that the average Filipino earned P55,000 from selling different items on the online platform during the lockdown period, or from February to June 2020.
According to Carousell, more than 450,000 transactions were made for second-hand items alone.
While most of these are for extra income, other transactions aimed to raise funds for those greatly affected by the pandemic.
“During lent season, I wanted to be more proactive in fundraising for those affected by the quarantine and decided to sell my items and donate 100% of the proceeds,” a Carousell user named Ashley was quoted as saying in a statement released by the online shopping platform.
Aside from second-hand goods, other popular items sold online include food and beverages. Carousell noted an increase of 188% in chat inquiries for items in the F&B segment during the lockdown period as more Filipinos began selling their homemade specialties.
“The country lockdowns brought about by our efforts in flattening the curve of the virus spread have shown the need to remain interconnected whilst apart. We are proud to be part of facilitating these vital commercial flows of buying and selling that are crucial in these difficult times,” Carousell Philippines general manager Raffy Montemayor said.
Launched in 2012, Carousell is present in eight markets across Asia, with over 250 million listings.
Original Article on ABS-CBN News.
