Online Shopping vs. Online Dating: Which Do Pinoys Prefer?

Would you rather swipe right or add to cart?

In one of our Facebook posts, most of you shared the many reasons to prefer online shopping over online dating. 

“Better have the wrong item than the wrong person,” Joselle commented. 

Meanwhile, Alvin quipped: “At least sa Shopee or Lazada, pwede ibalik produkto pag may damage.” [At least Shopee and Lazada let users return damaged products.]

Also read: Are We Getting Addicted to Tracking Our Parcels?

Many more humorous remarks and relatable comments were thrown in. But apparently, beyond this Facebook post, studies also prove that most Filipinos actually maximise the digital sphere for online shopping over online dating.

Also read: I’m Minimising My Online Shopping This Year — Here’s Why

Study shows that Filipinos use shopping apps more than dating apps

On 11 Feb 2021, DataReportal in partnership with We Are Social and Hootsuite released a report containing information and insights about the mobile use of Filipinos. 

According to the report, the top mobile apps in the Philippines as of Jan 2021 include Facebook, Messenger, Lazada, Instagram, Shopee, ShareIt, Viber, Spotify, Netflix, and GCash. 

Also read: 8 Mobile Banking Apps Every Pinoy Should Have

Evidently, no official dating app made it to the Top 10 list. In contrast, the two most popular e-commerce apps landed in the top five most used mobile apps. 

Moreover, the report also showed that 85.7% of Filipinos used shopping apps, while only 12.3% used dating and friendship apps.

On the surface level, we can think of many amusing reasons why online shopping is better than online dating. Some readers pointed out that dating requires a certain level of commitment: an investment of time, energy, and emotion. 

Conversely, online shopping doesn’t demand as much investment; yet, many consumers claim that it brings them excitement, satisfaction, and happiness. 

Also read: Languishing? Here’s What You Can Do to Get Over That Slump

While both online shopping and online dating have their risks (i.e. both may lead to disappointment), some readers also argued that it’s easier to move on from a bad purchase than a bad relationship.

Do Filipinos really prefer online shopping over online dating?

At this point, we can’t definitely say that Filipinos enjoy one more than the other. It’s worth considering that most Filipino consumers, regardless of relationship status, purchase items online because of the lack of options during the pandemic. 

Reports have also shown that in the Philippines, both online shopping and dating have increased amid COVID-19. 

Mobile apps constantly adapt to the ever-changing times. So as the post-pandemic world transitions, it should be expected that the mobile habits of Filipinos will continue to evolve.

Featured image credit: Tero Vesalainen via Canva Pro