Editor’s note: This content is sponsored by Lazada and was produced by BrandRap, the sales and marketing arm of Rappler. No member of the news and editorial team participated in the production of this piece.

After years of building trust in the digital space, e-commerce is finally at a point where it is no longer described as an alternative source of profit but rather an essential driver for any business looking to expand their reach. After all, people are more keen to search products or services they want to buy through online channels now more than ever.

This is in no small part thanks to e-commerce platforms like Lazada who have been hard at work in demystifying the digital economy. Through their efforts, they have made the idea of running an e-commerce business easier to comprehend, and shopping online as casual as walking to a nearby sari-sari store.

Lazada, who is now celebrating their tenth anniversary, has changed the way online shopping works. And when the pandemic hit, they were one of the few who already had existing infrastructure that helped businesses beyond survival.

In this episode of Lazada Talks, Issa Litton picks the brain of subject matter experts who can help us understand how Lazada and other purveyors of the digital economy pulled this off, what has changed since then, how consumers and businesses are behaving in the online space, and the future of online selling.

Joining her on the virtual stage are Lazada’s own Carlos Barrera, Synagie’s Lester Cuneta, and Digits Trading, Inc.’s Howard Paw.

Carlos Barrera is the Deputy CEO of Lazada Philippines. Born in Madrid, Spain, Carlos graduated with a double degree in Business Administration and Finance from University Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M). Prior to joining Lazada, he was in the consulting industry for five years in Europe and South America, covering strategy, mergers and acquisition projects. Carlos came on board Lazada in 2014, where he started in the Malaysia office before taking on his chief operating officer role with Lazada Philippines.

Lester Cuneta on the other hand is an e-commerce professional with 10 years of combined experience in tech, retail, and fast-moving consumer goods. He is the chief process officer of the Synagie group and general manager of Synagie Philippines.

Lastly, Howard Paw is the co-founder and assistant vice president for Digits Trading, Inc. Digits Trading has been in the retail business for more than 20 years, bringing in tech and electronics brands into the country since way before the birth of the first smartphone. Digits Trading built physical and online stores Filipino techies have come to love including Digital Walker and Beyond the Box.

“Lazada Talks Episode 2: Emerging opportunities for eCommerce” premieres on May 18, 2022. Bookmark this page to watch! – Rappler.com