Online Shopping made easy by Catalogue 63

As a huge Internet addict, I can’t even imagine life without it. During the height of typhoon Falcon’s onslaught a few weeks ago, cable TV in my neighborhood went down. I was praying the whole weekend that my Internet connection would not go next. Thankfully, it didn’t.

The Internet has opened up windows of possibilities with social media interaction in real time; movies or TV shows on-demand and probably the best invention since sliced bread — online shopping with just a click of a mouse.

With online shopping at our fingertips, I don’t need to book a plane ticket just to check out new stuff from J.Crew, Barney, and Colette. Their websites are easy to navigate, efficient and simple enough for you to enjoy retail therapy. But despite the proliferation of international brands on the online shopping front, Filipino brands haven’t capitalized on this phenomenon outside cumbersome social media outlets such as Multiply or Facebook.

Started by longtime friends Patricia Pastelero, Kathleen King and Martina Gomez, Catalogue 63 is Manila’s newest e-retailer featuring women’s clothing, shoes, bags and accessories presented in an easy, worry-free online platform.

For those unfamiliar with shopping via social media, it’s a little overwrought. A vendor sets up a social media account filled with photos of their products. Then you go through the process of checking out the albums and asking the seller the price of each item individually. After a few private messages, you need to pay them through some mobile system such as GCASH or deposit money in the seller’s bank account. This tedious process has made me too wary of the experience until I found out about Catalogue 63.

Catalogue 63 (http://www.catalogue63.com) was a discovery I made while traipsing around Facebook. A good friend of mine “liked” the website, which showed up on my feed and I was curious enough to follow her to their Facebook fan page.

They’re an online retailer offering women’s clothes, shoes, bags and accessories from independent Filipino brands seen in top local bazaars such as those held at the Rockwell tent.

I was impressed with the shopping portal’s no-nonsense and simple approach to Internet retail. I also liked how the products were displayed. Unlike other sites, there were no annoying models in odd poses.

I was also delighted with the customer service. I had a few queries regarding sizing and delivery and received an immediate response. After my questions were answered, I zeroed in on a few dresses, clicked “add to cart” and went through the purchasing process in a jiffy. I got my purchases in two days without having to physically leave my house. It was amazing!

This website allows independent fashion brands to focus on the creative process while expanding their online reach as Catalogue 63 handles the back-end processes of an internet store.

Catalogue 63 is a brainchild of three longtime friends Martina Gomez, Patricia Pastelero and Kathleen King.

According to Martina, marketing manager of Catalogue 63, “We didn’t choose to partner with brands we simply like, but chose brands whose visions we believe in, with long-term and cohesive collections.”

They offer popular local brands and bazaar staples Renegade Folk, Tala Manila and Naked Sun. The website is a godsend for smaller brands, as Catalogue 63 takes care of the back-end of having an online store, allowing them to focus their time and effort on the creative side of developing new designs and collections.

Apart from their website, Catalogue 63 also holds regular trunk shows like the one last June 26th at the Metro Club. This allows their customers to familiarize themselves with how the site works as well as give a tactile look at the various brands and products they offer.

Real human interaction is at its minimum at Catalogue 63 making the online shopping painless for us busy consumers. Shoppers can simply just place their order online with a click of their mouse and receive their purchases in two days.

For more online shopping, check out www.catalogue63.com.

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Grace Velasco blogs at www.divasoria.ph.