The Quarantine Effect: the average Filipino earned P55,000 on Carousell

User behaviour study reveals that Filipinos have become increasingly resourceful, selling and buying to make the best of the lockdown period

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A new user behaviour study conducted by ​Carousell​, one of the world’s largest and fastest growing classifieds, shows that Filipinos largely adapted to the lockdowns around the country by making the best of what they have, through selling and buying. During the lockdown period, the average Filipino made ₱55,000, selling on Carousell .

Selling second hand with hugot

Filipinos made more than 450,000 transactions for second hand items to earn extra money. For many, this was to save for rainy days, supplement income, or even to cushion the blow of losing a job during the pandemic. Carousell user ​Jhocen​, who was forced to pause her full-time work and sold her preloved and vintage items on Carousell to keep her afloat, earned over ₱10,000 on Carousell during quarantine.

But many others sold their items with a different purpose in mind. Carousell user ​Ashley decided to start an initiative with a few of her friends, to raise funds for those who lost their sources of income during the quarantine. “During lent season, I wanted to be more proactive in fundraising for those affected by the quarantine and decided to sell my items and donate 100% of the proceeds,” said Ashley.

Similarly, ​Gabbi listed her secondhand clothes to raise funds as she “wanted to help daily wage earners and local businesses”. The quarantine period prompted her to notice how important everyday frontliners such as “K​ uya” couriers were, how difficult their situation was, and how many still needed help with their jobs being cut.

Yet, even with this rise in conscious resourcefulness, there is still a lot more value to be unlocked in selling underused items. On Carousell’s marketplace alone, Filipinos could be selling an additional ₱3.8 billion worth of second hand items.

Love for food

Second hand marketplaces have quickly become a top of mind destination for certain items like women’s fashion and electronics, two of Carousell’s historically popular categories. But during the quarantine period, another popular category emerged.

Food and beverages businesses affected by the quarantine took to Carousell to continue selling their homemade delights, using the newly-launched Local F&B category, where users are able to search within a 10km radius of their location to narrow down the food nearest to them. It’s no secret that Filipinos love their food—during the quarantine period alone, chats for items in the F&B segment alone increased by 188%. Filipinos were both selling their homemade goods on Carousell and using it to source for their cooking and baking needs too, right down to the nitty gritty of equipment such as whisks, which more than doubled in demand.

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Raffy Montemayor, General Manager, Carousell Philippines said “We are one with our market partners and communities in the Southeast Asian region in working towards fighting this pandemic and restoring our respective economic lives and well-being. The country lockdowns brought about by our efforts in flattening the curve of the virus spread have shown the need to remain interconnected whilst apart. We are proud to be part of facilitating these vital commercial flows of buying and selling that are crucial in these difficult times. It is inspiring to see such great entrepreneurial drive mirrored in the stories of our users, and we want to ensure that our platform continues to empower them and allow their businesses to thrive. We wish to remain their reliable and trusted partner in our common journey to remake a better world for all beyond this crisis.”

To celebrate and share the stories of Carousellers who have exemplified true grit and resourcefulness, Carousell has launched a #MakingTheBest campaign that will roll out over the next few months. For more Carousell stories, visit ​press.carousell.com​.