Shopping For Christmas During A Pandemic

Image Credit

Shopping for Christmas gifts during a pandemic can be challenging. If you are like me who would rather go to the mall and pick out a gift, well, this year it would be better to just do as most people do - go shopping online.

Every year, I start my Christmas shopping as early as August, but this year is different. I opted to stay safe and keep my family safe so I took to online shopping.

Two big online shopping platforms are available in the Philippines, Lazada and Shopee. Before the pandemic, I would usually just browse their websites but I rarely bought from them. Now, I have experienced the convenience of getting the stuff I want delivered to my house. 

Both platforms offer discounts and free shipping on some items, and cash on delivery too. For every purchase and item review, you get free "coins" which you can redeem for vouchers. Tracking your parcel is easier with Shopee because you get updates on the app itself, unlike with Lazada where you have to copy your tracking number and check the status on the website of their delivery partner. A little bit of a hassle but no worries. I also love that both platforms send you get text messages/notifications that your parcel is out for delivery. 

The items I have bought from both platforms so far are:

1. Two Desk Mats

2. A gaming mouse

3. A 10 piece set of mouse pads

4. Three James Patterson novels

5. A set of Usborne Science books

6. A night lamp

7. A T-shirt (rare find)

8. An Edmark Pull and Chop chopper. 

9. A 100 ml bottle of neem oil 

All items were delivered to me in good condition. Each item was properly packed, no dents, no damage and I received them all on time. 

Did I have any bad experience so far? Yes. One of my purchases was for two multi-purpose desks. I was given a time frame for delivery but every time I would check the status of my order, it always says "Item packed," which means it was still with the seller and has not been moved to the courier or warehouse.  I messaged the seller and I got a response that they were having difficulties finding a courier because the items were bulky. And so I waited. And waited. And waited until finally, I got an email from Lazada informing me that my order has been cancelled due to the failure of the seller to deliver the items on time. Ugh. How frustrating. Waited two weeks only to have my order cancelled.

I have also tried shopping using Facebook Marketplace. I was able to get the desks I wanted from an online seller who was very responsive in answering my queries. She was even able to get me the desks I wanted in the color and size that suited my needs. 

The items I was able to buy from Facebook Marketplace are:

1. Two Ficus Nana plants

2. Two Himalayan Salt lamps

3. One 850 gram box of Epsom salt

4. Two World Craft Multi-purpose Desks 

5. Two 3-ft coco poles (for my epiphytes and orchids

6. A pair of wooden laptop risers 

Buying items from Facebook Marketplace seems easier, because they usually do same day delivery with a COD option and you can choose to purchase from sellers near you. The only setback is that their delivery fee is more expensive. But if you are good at haggling, you may still snatch a good deal for the item you like.

I am not done with my shopping yet. I wish my parcels would arrive before Christmas so I could still have time to wrap them and put them under the tree.

I haven't gotten a gift for myself though. I am eyeing a new Canon camera. I am browsing around for a good deal for any of these three models - EOS 3000D, EOS 2000D or a Rebel T6 (EOS 1300D). I rarely travel though, so you'd wonder why would I want a camera like this? I have always wanted one since I was young, but I had to set that dream aside because there were more important things to spend my money on - my kids' tuition fees. But now they are all done with college and are all gainfully employed, I am working towards making my dreams a reality. One dream at a time! Maybe with a camera like this I can try my luck at vlogging. 

Christmas may be a little different this year, but we are striving to keep the spirit alive. Family reunions may still push through, not physically though but with the help of technology. My cousins and I will be having a Zoom "party" so we can still "be together." Weird, but that would suffice for now.

Anyway, here's to wishing you all a blessed Christmas. Remember to always stay safe and abide by the minimum health protocols recommended by the government. 

Merry Christmas!

How is Technology Disrupting the Real Estate Industry?

The Internet of Things, Augmented Reality, and Artificial Intelligence are some technical terms that almost everyone now hears every day. With these emerging technologies, the business landscape has changed. Today, as Steven Taylor observes, some retail stores are going out of business. With augmented reality, you can see and test products before you buy them online. The same technologies are also affecting the real estate industry.

Online Shopping

While a realtor or a landlord may still put up a banner when they have a house up for sale or rent, millennials prefer to compare houses online. With augmented reality, you can take a virtual tour of a house just like you would in real life. Instead of traveling across the neighborhood looking at houses, you can now do it in the comfort of your sofa. Better yet, buyers and sellers can close deals online.

The Economy of Sharing

Today, many people prefer to hire cars when they need them instead of buying them. This is happening with most millennials who prefer to rent houses rather than buy, share offices and split rent, and to sign long-term leases for offices. Firms can buy than rent these houses for extended stays negating the need to buy office space.

Improving the Tenant's Experience

Tenants and aspiring homeowners are shopping for modern homes. A modern home embraces the Internet of Things (IoT), where all gadgets, from the vacuum cleaner to the bulbs, are intelligent and interconnected. Houses with vintage designs and archaic devices are losing value seeing that the cost of modernizing them is high. A 2017 PWC study in Canada and the USA showed that the real estate industry would change drastically in the next decade due to such trends.

Change is a powerful force. For realtors to stay in business, they need to embrace new technologies. Realtors have to adapt to the ever-changing needs of tenants and aspiring homeowners, and one way to do that is by keeping up with market trends.