Through the immediacy of the smartphone, the idea of buying products and goods have the potential to occur with greater efficiency and depth. Smartphone and the apps that have proliferated in recent years have allowed users across the globe to network with greater convenience. Shoppers have perennially bought goods from international markets, but at inefficient delivery speeds. Smartphone technology has the ability to connect regional consumers with international markets with significantly improved ease.
Based in Hong Kong, Shippa combines the networked efficiency of smartphones with the perennial habits of the consumer by having international travelers function as the shipper.
Through the company’s personalized mobile app which has recently launched in Hong Kong, regional consumers can network with international travelers through this global logistics platform.
The mobile app allows two types of users to register: the international traveler and the regional consumer. The international traveler can register as a shipper who will bring the regional consumer an overseas item that the international traveler has acquired. The international user receives an acceptable shipping fee. International travelers can thus earn as they travel, and regional consumers can purchase the overseas items they desire by accessing the international market through their smartphone.
Within the Shippa app, the Hong Kong consumer desiring an overseas item can connect with an international user who will be traveling into the region. Through the personalized app, consumers and travelers can upload images of the goods and products that the consumer seeks to purchase. In this manner, the Hong Kong consumer can avoid browsing through countless ecommerce websites by connecting directly with an international user to make a specific request through the chat room. Consumers can discuss the specific aspects of their order in a personal conversation with the traveler. International travelers who then leave Hong Kong can re-engage the Shippa app by delivering goods for a consumer located in their next destination.
Shippa has released versions of their app on Android and iOS, enabling the Hong Kong consumer to experience this innovative approach to international shopping through their smartphone. Smartphone use has proliferated through Hong Kong, East Asia, and the globe, and the app is sure to leverage pre-existing consumer habits. With their inventive approach to networking regional consumers and international travelers, Shippa is sure to make an impact in Hong Kong and the broader South East Asian region.
