3 smart ways to shop local online

Support local – that’s the gospel of Pickjunction. It’s a platform that boasts an ever-growing list of recommended local artisans, boutiques and studios – basically a list of brands that cover a wide range of goods and services. Think established labels alongside emerging ones, including names like Arete Goods, Knack, The Nail Social, Triple Eyelid and Green Banana.

You can’t purchase anything here, though. Pickjunction is more of a carefully curated digital directory that introduces you to independent businesses and personalised services. Drop in on their regular pop-ups, workshops or lectures to learn more.

Tired of Carou-hell? Tinker around with Shopee, a mobile shopping app that touts a faster and safer peer-to-peer marketplace where you can buy and sell everything from apparel, accessories and crafts to gadgets, homeware and books. Similar to an online flea market, the platform also allows budding entrepreneurs to hawk their wares – brands that caught our eye include cruelty-free cosmetics line Jessilogy and footwear label Buckle Up.

If you’re worried about hagglers and hecklers, Shopee is one step ahead of you. It has features such as inventory management, secure payments and live chat functions to make your retail experience smoother and easier. But like every e-commerce site (here’s looking at you, Taobao), beware the dangers of falling into the black hole of snapping up every. Thing. You. See.

Shopee is free on the App Store and Google Play.

Similar to Ebates, local start-up ShopBack wants to give you rebates (of up to 30 percent) when you shop from its online mall at Zalora, Qoo10, Groupon, Foodpanda, Luxola, Lazada, Expedia and 300 other names.

It’s also the first cashback site in South-East Asia to partner Taobao, as well as local brands like Charles and Keith, Courts and fashion blogshops. This is guilt-free shopping at its best.