In the early days of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in March, my wife and I had to strategize on how to secure our groceries. We had to decide on who should go out, and where and when to. We spent hours falling in line while ensuring to observe all the safety protocols being enforced by the government. We knew back then that we had to find a new way of doing groceries and other activities because we were spending so much time potentially exposing ourselves to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
In the Philippines’ not-so-distant past, buying items online was considered inconvenient and risky, something only people with access to credit cards can do. Even those with credit cards were hesitant to transact online because of security concerns. Now, amid the coronavirus pandemic, 75 percent of internet users in the country, aged 16 to 64, have already purchased something online. This surge can be attributed not only to the availability of various payment options, such as online banking, electronic wallets and cash on delivery, but also to the lockdowns the government imposed on the country. It can be said the options electronic commerce (e-commerce) offers have evolved to suit the needs of consumers.