SINGAPORE, Feb. 4, 2016 (Antara/PRNewswire) -- Most shopping sites want consumers to spend more with them and therefore closely guard their promotional strategies. But Rakuten, an internet services company which runs online shopping sites worldwide, recently launched an unusual challenge to 50 top online influencers in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia – to go through its Rakuten shopping sites, uncover the best combination of "hacks" which would give shoppers the most monetary savings and reveal them publicly to their followers.
The "Rakuten Shopping Hacks" initiative was inspired by Rakuten's tagline "Shopping is Entertainment", and aims to delight shoppers by showing them how to purchase the product they want but at a fraction – sometimes 70% or less – of the original price, thanks to a combination of subtle but clever hacks. With Asian shoppers spending an average of US$36 a month on online shopping[1] – not including gifting seasons such as Christmas – these hacks could amount to substantial savings over time.
The ten top shopping hacks that were uncovered on Rakuten include:
1. Subscribe to e-newsletters
New subscribers get a welcome discount coupon but more importantly, subscribers are the first to know about special promotions and limited time deals, which sometimes only lasts for 24 hours.
2. Sign up as a member (for free)
Members get birthday discount coupons and enjoy exclusive promotions depending on their tier of membership. Done in tandem with tip #1, membership is considered the most fundamental, but critical step to enjoy better savings.
3. Take advantage of loyalty programmes
Rakuten offers a rebate equivalent of at least 5% of your purchase value, in the form of Rakuten Super Points, every day, on every purchase. These points can be used like cash to offset your next purchase on Rakuten. There is no limit to the amount of rebate. On special days, this rebate can go up to as high as 25%. Shoppers simply need to sign up as a member for free, to begin earning Rakuten Super Points.
4. Get the right credit card
MasterCard, for instance, gives you an additional 5% discount on certain days if you pay with them. Plus, some credit cards offer cash rebates as part of their own rewards programme based on the amount you charge to the card.
5. Shop on the right day
Not all days are made equal for shopping. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and weekends tend to be the best days to shop as Rakuten has special discounts on these days to catch the mid-week and weekend online shoppers.
6. Cashback sites
Browse on the online shopping site if you need to do some pre-purchase research, but when you actually want to do the buying, exit the online shopping site first and head to a cashback site such as Ebates or Shopback instead. Then, search and click through to the online shopping site from there. This additional step gives you 5% cash rebate for your purchase on Rakuten.
7. Look around for discount coupons
Discount coupons are usually displayed prominently on the online shopping site. But discount coupons which could be more relevant to you – be it the product that you want, the discount value or the minimum spend for the coupon to be valid – are also available elsewhere, such as the online shopping site's Facebook page, bloggers that the online shopping site works with and more. Do a quick online search before deciding which coupon presents you with the best savings.
8. Do the math when it comes to coupons and promo codes
Look closely at the amount that you will be spending, and decide on the coupon code of your choice (if there are more than one) for the best savings. For instance, a 5% discount off a $20 product is not as cost-effective as a $5 discount coupon.
9. Find a friend, save on shopping and shipping
Gather your friends to buy items in bulk – many items require a minimum spend to qualify for free shipping. Other products often come in bundle packs which can be split up more cost-effectively among your friends, than if each of you were to buy one piece each.
10. Split up your purchases if you can wait
Buy what you need to buy now. Then with the loyalty points you earn, go get something else – either offset it with points, or get it free completely.
For example, using a combination of some of these hacks, a Samsung Galaxy S6 (32GB) on www.rakuten.com.sg could be purchased for less than 70% of its original retail price.
Rakuten online shopping is available in the following countries and regions in Asia: Singapore (www.rakuten.com.sg), Malaysia (www.rakuten.com.my), Indonesia (www.rakuten.co.id), Thailand (www.tarad.com) and Taiwan (www.rakuten.com.tw).
About Rakuten
Rakuten, Inc. (4755:Tokyo), is one of the world's leading Internet service companies, providing a variety of services for consumers and businesses, including in the areas of e-commerce, eReading, travel, banking, securities, credit cards, e-money, logistics, portal and media, online marketing and professional sports. Since 2012, Rakuten was ranked among the world's 'Top 10 Most Innovative Companies' in Forbes magazine's annual list. Rakuten is expanding worldwide and currently operates throughout Asia, Europe, the Americas and Oceania. Founded in 1997, Rakuten is headquartered in Tokyo, with over 10,000 employees and partner staff worldwide.
[1] Rakuten Shopping Secrets 2015. An online survey commissioned by Rakuten and conducted by an external research company on 2,500 men and women in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Taiwan in October 2015.
Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20160128/8521600586
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