Multiply pumps Php25M to promote the Marketplace

Q: Key Point 1: If you've noticed lately that Multiply has been very aggressive...

If you've noticed lately that Multiply has been very aggressive with online advertising, it's because they're on the road to claiming the top e-commerce spot in the Philippines.

Abe Olandres March 20, 2012 · 2 min read

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If you’ve noticed lately that Multiply has been very aggressive with online advertising, it’s because they’re on the road to claiming the top e-commerce spot in the Philippines. That’s to the tune of Php25 million in ad money.

A number of other players are contenders for the top spots, coming in from various platforms and business models — there’s the top classifieds ad site Sulit, AyosDito and eBay.ph. A few more challengers have been launch in recent years but have not really made a huge dent in market share.

Multiply has evolved from just being a simple blogging and social networking site to a full-fledged marketplace with tens of thousands of merchants under its fold (ranging from one-woman shops selling perfumes to big name PC vendors like Dell or VillMan).

To fast-track this evolution, Multiply has pumped in at least Php25 million in advertising money to promote the marketplace and possible another round of cash in the next quarter if the numbers are promising.

Multiply has tapped a number of fashion bloggers as endorsers and VIP merchants with some names getting Php20k a month just to have their pretty faces featured in those banner ads. Certainly not spare change but it could ad to the local flavor and attract more regular patrons in the process.

Based from conversations with active merchants, and my experience with shopping at Multiply, it looks like the site is absorbing the cost of shipping and the additional credit card charges in favor of the merchants so they’re motivated to use the shopping cart. I am also told that since Multiply uses their own payment processor, the risk of chargebacks and fraudulent transactions are absorbed by the company and not the individual merchants. That’s a pretty bold and interesting offer if you ask me.

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Abe Olandres

Editor-in-chief

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

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22 Comments

Peter Pegarro · 14 years ago

Started our online flower shop at multiply. Gamit namin ang photo and photo description to have an eCommerce appeal. We eventually moved up to host our own website with a registered domain @ 3 years old na running.

Never fails to surprise every time we’d get a lead from the almost abandon multiply page.

sherylblossom.multiply.com

but to use Multiply as a ecommerce site… haya.an ko nlang muna ma.una ibang tao to see how it goes. hope the mutiply team would be leaning to the right direction.

Friendly · 14 years ago

I think there is no chances they can back to the online market as facebook is turning into a marketplace too. LoL!

Feather Hair PH · 14 years ago

It will be interesting to see what happens when their promos come to an end. Mainly the free transaction processing. I know Multiply plans on taking a 4% commission on all products sold soon. That’s quite a bit more than other services in the United States (such as shopify) and is about in line with what Amazon charges sellers. I really hope Xend & Multiply get together to continue to offer the free shipping for orders over P400. I think ecommerce is at a tipping point. If done carefully and correctly, it could take off. But if services try charging merchants too much, too soon, it could really turn people off and backfire. We’ll see!

Jes · 14 years ago

Mukhang babagsak agad itong Marketplace.

Iyan Sommerset · 14 years ago

Glad to hear. Multiply has always been my primary social networking/blogging/content-providing service. Sure, the social networking aspect has died down somewhat thanks to FB but the interface is still the best as a content-provider of photos.

sheryl lacsamana · 14 years ago

one of the best seller in multiply thinkPC online of sir rich. i bought my PC and other item there.
really a trusted shop online.

gtbimaykel · 14 years ago

They should also talk to merchants like Ms. Kim that doesn’t use the shopping cart and encourage them to do so.

I also bought from Kimstore and I think Multiply doesn’t earn from them because they are not using the shopping cart. Tama ba Sir Abe?

Remoquin · 14 years ago

Fast and Easy! I recently bought my DSLR from Kim through Multiply. You only need to trust the seller.

trending tweets · 14 years ago

If multiply is absorbing credit card extra cost does that mean na buying gadgets from multiply is cheaper.

Andre · 14 years ago

Is the platform good, easy to use now?

Its like Taking Sulit and doing online commerce

Alvin · 14 years ago

Sa totoo lang, dati inignore ko itong Multiply kasi parang hindi appealing yung interface nya. Pero yung pinagbilihan ko ng dslr ko naka multiply hehe. Mukha naman maganda yung business nya kahit wala syang exact domain name.