Become a Savvier Online Shopper: 5 Tricks and Tips to Note!

It’s time to face up to the facts - online shopping is in. With retail therapy conveniently moving online, physical shopping might very well be on its way to becoming obsolete. Of course, that shouldn’t be a cause for concern - any online shopper will know the satisfaction of placing an order online, and having it doubled when receiving the precious parcel a few days later. And there’s no need to have it all at the expense of your wallet - here are five insider tips to help you turn your online shopping trials into triumphs.

1. Filters

If you haven’t been using filters when you browse online, you’ve been doing online shopping the wrong way. Sort your online goodies from Price Low to High to root out the best deals on the site, and keep everything organized for your browsing ease.


For those frustrated at having to sift through pages of irrelevant but cheap items, that’s exactly where the price range toggles come in. Simply adjust your minimum price to something reasonable of the category and you’ll be good to go. Then again, for those who like challenges, feel free to keep the minimum price at $0 – after all, you never know when an extra value deal sneaks its way into the game.

Price filters aside, you can also play with the various filter options provided to you by the website - in clothing sections alone, filters like size, length of skirts, colours, brands and more can really help to narrow down your options so you can access exactly what you want, instantly and efficiently.

2. Sign up for the newsletter

Believe it or not, the online newsletter exists for a purpose larger than flooding your inbox with useless spam. Signing up for the store newsletter gives you advance notice on sales and updates that could do wonders for your savings account.

In exchange for your elusive email, stores tend to reward customer's loyalty with sneak-peek ‘first looks’ at upcoming sales, and sometimes even the handy coupon code. When that happens, you definitely don’t want to miss it out. For many online stores, if you go the extra mile to sign up for an account, you’ll often be gifted with a special discount code on your birthday.

It’s a worthwhile trade for your inbox space, but if you’re still a little hesitant, here’s a tip –create a separate account purely for online shopping accounts and updates. That way, if you’re ever in the mood to part with your money, you’ll find a whole host of avenues waiting neatly for you in one place.

3. Cash in (or out) on holidays

Public holidays aren’t just good for a free day off from work or school now – online stores have cashed in on the holiday hype (and the fact that people are happier on a break) to entice customers with special promo codes and sales. Take a look around: Zalora, ASOS, Lazada, Groupon are just some of the big names that have taken to offering holiday-specific discounts when the occasion arises. Take your pick from Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Labour Day, and the many other extraneous holidays that bring with them an onslaught of much appreciated discount codes. So if you’ve got your eyes on something, it might help to keep the other eye out for any upcoming public holidays before you place that order. 

4. Resist – curb the urge!

Strangely enough, playing hard to get with your favourite online store works, especially when you’re usually a loyal purchasing customer of the website. From a tried-and-tested perspective, if you refrain from ordering from ASOS for a substantial period of time – whether intentionally or not – this British retailer will very graciously send you a “We miss you, take 20% off!” promo code, exclusive only to you.

Singapore’s Zalora too, has been known to show the occasional act of generosity if you leave something simmering in your cart for a few days. For anyone intending to make a hasty purchase at full price, it might be worthwhile to consider playing the waiting game, because indeed, good things come to those who wait. 

5. Use CashBack Websites!

It’s a little novel to us here in Singapore, but getting money back when you shop has been a popular trend for quite a while now. Most famously done in the US, shoppers can get cashback from purchasing their favourite brands through the particular cashback website. It’s a nifty notion that has thankfully made its way onto our shores  – the cashback sites get their commission, and you get a portion of the money you spent credited back to you.

One such website that offers cashback to the South East Asian consumers is ShopBack Singapore – in addition to cashback on over 500 shops, you’ll get access to current active promo codes and discount codes for those stores including ASOS, Zalora, Groupon, Expedia, Agoda.com, and hundreds more. Once you’ve accumulated at least $10 of cashback in your ShopBack account, you can conveniently cash it out into your bank and PayPal accounts helping you save more online. 

At the end of the day, getting the most out of your online shopping experience comes down to shopping smart. Understanding and knowing how best to work the ways of the websites will help any avid shopper get a good deal - possibly even more than in shopping real-world retail. And honestly, who needs instant gratification when you can have the delayed pleasure of receiving a parcel addressed to yourself, from yourself?  

Amanda writes for cash back website ShopBack Singapore and has 48 pairs of shoes. Other than that, she's pretty good at handling her finances.

This post is brought to you by Shopback. Sign up and start enjoying cashback for your online purchases today!