​Hi! I'm Joanna. And I'm your Smart Shopper.

The funny thing is, I'm not fond of shopping for myself. I buy my clothes and accessories once a year. I indulge only during my birthdays using shopping vouchers my family gift me — because they know, at some point, I need to shop.

So, what makes me a Smart Shopper?

I may not frequently be shopping, but I shop wisely.

Becoming Smarter in Life

In my early 20s, I have saved enough by being frugal and being entrepreneurial that I had been financially free since. I learned later on that it's not typical for Filipinos of my generation to have financial freedom at that age. The lure of immediate gratification after college was tempting. But because of the crisis that my family experienced, I learned I should think about my future.

The biggest purchases I made using my first few paychecks after graduation were not for gadgets or a beach trip. I purchased life insurance, health insurance and invested in my first mutual fund.

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Once I felt like I had enough buffer in my bank account, that's when I started gratifying myself, but still very prudently. I like dressing well, but I made sure the clothes I buy are not too expensive but can last for years — thus, nothing that's just a fad. I sought distributor's sales when it comes to tech products. I would search far and wide for vacation deals while determining when to stop (because it can take up so much time!).

My first pseudo-personal shopping venture was a few years after college when a friend and I set up the Jet Setter's Trunk brand, selling fashion and novelty items overseas. We filled our suitcases with whatever interesting stuff we found during our travels, mainly in Asia. And then we joined bazaars to sell them in the Philippines during the Christmas season.​

Born During The Pandemic

​Then I moved to Singapore for an irresistible job opportunity in 2011. My eyes then opened to the exciting commerce in this small country. The ease of ordering anything from anywhere around the world is incomparable. I had always wished that my family and friends in the Philippines would enjoy such a perk too. 

Fast forward to 2020, when the pandemic was ensuing in Singapore, and we were picking ourselves up from the recent death of one of our kids, I had a new business idea. I had already been dedicatedly running businesses for five years at that point, Giving is Social being my first scaled one. Another is my branding, marketing and admin service called The Collective Asia. My staff, all from the Philippines working with me virtually, needed more projects to work on. At the same time, travel bans have commenced, and my family and friends who usually visited us in Singapore were at their wits' end. "How do we shop for our favourite products in Singapore when we can't travel anymore?" I knew I could help them. My team can create something for them.

So The Smart Shopper was born. 

From a Balenciaga to Jabba the Hutt

The very first item I shipped was a preloved Balenciaga bag my customer found on Carousell.sg. Orders for Ikea products followed. Then orders for Star Wars' collector items (like Jabba the Hutt action figures, if you call them that) came in from another early customer. And then these clients started talking to their friends about us. It's been amazing how we've grown in such a short time!

We now shop and ship from 14 countries and ship to 10. I love my team! I'm excited about where else we're going. My dream has always been to create companies that provide jobs to qualified and hard-working mothers, and support high-impact charities with regular donations from our profits.

If you're reading this and have any thoughts or ideas to share about how we can serve your needs, please message me! 

Meet our Team!

These fabulous mommas are the key people handling your orders. I try to make sure that I'm able to support them to support you. You can definitely reach out to me directly through the same channels you use to chat with my team. Just say, "Hi, Joanna!" and I'll pop in. =)

Shaine

A mom of two, she's one of the most hardworking people I know! She's savvy at finding the best places to source your items from. She searches for the most cost-effective and efficient way to ship your goods to you. Quotations, tracking of your parcels, and plenty of other things in between are under her golden care.

Elisha

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An all-around entrepreneur, this mom is serving up the best coffee in the Philippines! Founder and CEO of Neahara, she's running both physical stores and an online store for her "Barista" brand of coffee. She's our order fulfilment manager who makes sure your parcels are packaged well and delivered on time.

Ro is our reliable packer in Singapore who makes sure that your parcels are safe for shipping. She also makes sure that your orders are picked up or delivered on time.

Kristine is our assistant Smart Shopper in Singapore who specializes in luxury brands. From beauty products to designer bags, she loves them all! Her favorite street in the little red dot? Orchard Road!

Kasey is our Smart Shopper in Indonesia. She is your voice in Bahasa who makes sure your vendors understand your requests pretty well, and that you know everything there is to know about what you're purchasing.