Shoppertainment With Lazada
Timothy Go sits down with Lazada CEO James Chang to find out what happens behind the scenes at Lazada, the online shopping portal that’s a go-to place for many of us in Singapore.
Lazada is dominating in the Southeast Asia region but how does it set itself apart from the competition? Launched back in 2012, their strategy has been continually changing and evolving. To navigate the different attitudes of people in SEA, Lazada has had to tailor their products for each market by making sure that what they offer appeals to the general public in that specific country.
Most of the products shown on the app are actually personalised to the user, thanks to algorithms and browsing history. With over 300 million products, this feature is definitely needed to keep customer engagement. Not only are the products personalised, but the search results are also personalised.
Consumers generally want to save time and effort while browsing, so Lazada was the first platform in SEA to launch image search. Buyers can take photos of products in real life through the app and similar products will be recommended if there’s no exact match.
With Alibaba now owning over 83% of Lazada’s shares, Mr Chang talked about what the China giant has brought to the table, including insights, knowledge and the experience to avoid growing pains.
Lazada wants to be more than just an app which you only open when you want to buy something. They’re looking to ensure that the app is engaging and fun enough with additions of features like concert live streams, a gameshow where consumers can interact with the host in real-time and games.
Mr Chang also spoke about the upcoming 11.11 sales, where users are encouraged to form teams with their friends and compete against other teams to win vouchers and discounts. It’s all part of the plan to make the app as fun as possible for the users.
When asked about what else he thinks Lazada has as an advantage compared to competitors, Mr Chang mentioned that he thinks it’s not about what Lazada has, but about what Lazada can do. And at the heart of it all, is innovation.