Shop Directly from Your Favorite YouTube Creators: Shopping Launches in the Philippines with Shopee

The digital landscape of the Philippines just got a whole lot more shoppable! YouTube, the global powerhouse for video content, has officially launched YouTube Shopping in the Philippines, forging a dynamic partnership with Southeast Asia’s leading e-commerce platform, Shopee.1 This strategic move marks the expansion of the YouTube Shopping affiliate program to its sixth thriving market within the region, further igniting the already explosive growth of video commerce across Southeast Asia. With this exciting integration, YouTube aims to revolutionize the online purchasing journey, unlocking a wealth of new opportunities for viewers, the vibrant community of content creators, and forward-thinking advertisers alike.

For the millions of Filipinos who turn to YouTube for entertainment, education, and connection, the shopping experience is about to become seamlessly integrated into their viewing habits. Gone are the days of sifting through lengthy description boxes for product links, enduring endless website redirects, or the frustration of switching between platforms. YouTube Shopping empowers viewers to effortlessly discover and purchase the items they love while they are actively engaged with content from their cherished creators.² The magic lies in the direct product tagging within the videos themselves – a simple click is all it takes to explore and ultimately acquire the featured products. Say goodbye to extra clicks and hello to instant gratification!

The arrival of the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program in the Philippines heralds a new era of possibilities for both the vast network of Shopee sellers and the burgeoning community of Filipino content creators. Shopee sellers now have an unprecedented opportunity to amplify their reach by forging collaborations with an even wider spectrum of influential content creators through this synergistic partnership. This unlocks access to a highly engaged and incremental audience, paving the way for unprecedented sales growth.³ This direct and seamless connection between creators and sellers acts as a powerful catalyst for product discovery, significantly expands brand visibility, and ultimately drives higher conversion rates, creating a win-win ecosystem for commerce.⁴

For the talented and eligible local creators who call the Philippines home, this groundbreaking partnership unlocks a treasure trove of new business avenues. They can now effectively monetize their hard-earned influence by authentically promoting products to an audience with whom they have already cultivated genuine connections and trust. As Filipino consumers increasingly gravitate towards engaging, content-rich shopping experiences, this collaboration perfectly aligns with their evolving expectations and preferences. It empowers creators to become not just entertainers but also trusted sources for product recommendations, further solidifying their role in the burgeoning creator economy of the Philippines.

Tapping into the Explosive Growth of Video Commerce and the Thriving Creator Economy in the Philippines

Southeast Asia stands as one of the most dynamic and rapidly expanding e-commerce markets globally, and at the forefront of this growth is the meteoric rise of video commerce.⁵ In 2024 alone, video commerce surged to an impressive 20% of the region’s total e-commerce gross merchandise value – a staggering fourfold increase since 2022.⁶ Simultaneously, the Philippine creator economy is flourishing, boasting over 450 YouTube channels with more than one million dedicated subscribers and an impressive 6,000 channels with over 100,000 loyal followers.

Fueling this dramatic shift is a fundamental change in how consumers discover products. The traditional path of search-based discovery is increasingly being replaced by a video-first shopping experience.⁷ Consumers are actively seeking out online content from creators they trust for both valuable information and engaging entertainment.⁸ On YouTube, creators transcend the roles of mere entrepreneurs and cultural influencers; they are becoming trusted advisors, acting as authentic voices on behalf of brands. A compelling global study reveals that online users are a remarkable 98% more likely to trust recommendations from YouTube creators compared to those from other social media platforms. This profound trust directly translates into increased purchase confidence. In fact, YouTube, on average, drives a staggering 3.8 times greater purchase intent than other social platforms.

This data underscores the immense power of viewers’ trust in the recommendations provided by their favorite creators and their inherent desire for authentic product reviews and demonstrations, ultimately leading to higher conversion rates. Consumers are actively seeking out entertainment that is both search-driven and video-led to enrich their overall shopping experience.⁹ This deep level of engagement with trusted creators on YouTube firmly positions the platform as a unique and powerful engine driving this evolving landscape of video commerce.

Further solidifying this trend, a Kantar study focusing on the shopping behaviors of Southeast Asian Generation Z reveals that an overwhelming eight in ten Gen Z respondents actively desire entertaining shopping experiences, highlighting the critical importance of engaging content in their purchasing journey. Furthermore, despite exploring various alternative channels for product discovery, a significant 63% of Filipino Gen Z respondents still express a strong preference for completing their purchases on established e-commerce platforms. This crucial insight makes the strategic partnership between YouTube and Shopee exceptionally synergistic, creating a truly integrated and seamless end-to-end shopping experience for this influential demographic.

Sapna Chadha, Vice President for Google Southeast Asia and South Asia Frontier, eloquently stated, “Southeast Asia is shaping the future of shopping with its powerful combination of a deeply engaged video-first audience, a profitable digital economy, and a vibrant creator community. We’re thrilled to bring YouTube Shopping to the Philippines—making Southeast Asia home to six out of nine countries globally that have it. Just seven months since our regional debut, we’re seeing strong traction across creators, sellers, and advertisers already. Building on this early momentum, YouTube Shopping will continue to grow, unlocking new opportunities for viewers, creators, brands, and partners across this dynamic region.”

Vincent Lee, Head of Shopee Philippines, echoed this sentiment, sharing, ”At Shopee, we are committed to delivering engaging shopping experiences that integrate content, community, and commerce. Our partnership with YouTube Shopping is a significant milestone for our brands and sellers, allowing them to connect with creators and harness their influence to drive sales effectively. This collaboration also opens up exciting opportunities for the growing number of Filipino content creators to monetize their creativity while promoting products that resonate with their audiences. As the digital economy continues to expand, our commitment is to support sellers and creators alike, helping them thrive in this evolving landscape.”

Empowering Creators: Earn More with the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program

The YouTube Shopping affiliate program provides Filipino creators with a powerful new tool to enhance their content and boost their earnings.¹⁰ Creators can now seamlessly tag products directly within both their existing and newly uploaded videos, as well as conveniently pin these product tags during live streams.¹¹ The comprehensive list of tagged products, along with detailed information about each item, is readily accessible in the description section and a dedicated ‘Product’ section within the video interface. With a simple click on a tagged product, viewers are seamlessly directed to the external sales page on Shopee, facilitating a smooth and efficient purchase process.¹²

The YouTube Shopping affiliate program serves as a valuable complement to the existing suite of monetization options already available to Filipino creators, empowering them to further engage their audience and cultivate deeper connections that extend beyond immediate sales transactions. These established tools include Ads Revenue, YouTube Premium Revenue, Channel Memberships, Super Thanks, Super Chat, and Super Stickers, now augmented by the direct commerce capabilities of YouTube Shopping.¹³

The initial seven months since the launch of the YouTube Shopping affiliate program across Southeast Asia have already yielded impressive results and demonstrated significant momentum. For instance, Mai Trinh Hồ, a prominent beauty and fashion creator renowned for her honest and insightful reviews, joined the program in the last quarter of 2024 and has already witnessed a remarkable fivefold increase in her revenue streams. Similarly, Jagat Review, a respected tech creator from Indonesia, reported that his earnings generated through the YouTube Shopping affiliate program constituted a staggering 50% of his channel’s total earnings between July and October of the previous year.

Now that YouTube Shopping has officially arrived in the Philippines, creators like the popular Camille Co are brimming with excitement. She is already actively integrating the feature into her content, effortlessly sharing her favorite makeup products by tagging them directly in her engaging vlogs.

“I always get asked where I got this and that makeup or clothing or home stuff on my vlogs and for a long time, it’s been challenging to share them all,” Co enthusiastically shared. “Now with YouTube Shopping, it’s so much easier to share these products that I love and truly believe in. A huge plus also for me because I get to earn on the side while doing so!”

Mond Salem of Hardware Voyage, a well-regarded Filipino tech channel, also expressed his optimism about the new feature. “I’m so excited about YouTube Shopping finally being in the Philippines! I’m looking forward to me and my fellow creators earning more with featured product sale commissions,” he stated.

Unlocking Reach and Engagement Opportunities for Brands and Advertisers

For brands and advertisers operating in the Philippines, YouTube Shopping unlocks a wealth of new and innovative avenues to effectively reach and deeply engage with a wider pool of consumers, ultimately driving significant improvements in their key business outcomes.¹⁴

By enabling advertisers to directly connect their partnership advertisements with highly relevant creator content, YouTube Shopping effectively shortens the crucial customer journey from initial product discovery to the final point of sale. Brands can strategically leverage both long-form and short-form creator videos, seamlessly integrating product feeds into their campaigns to expand their reach to entirely new customer segments across the vast YouTube platform.¹⁵ A compelling example of this effectiveness comes from L’Oréal Thailand, which strategically combined its advertising campaign with the YouTube Shopping affiliate program and achieved a remarkable 10 times more high-intent views, all while realizing a cost-per-visit that was twice as efficient compared to their previous campaigns.

Since the initial launch of the YouTube Shopping affiliate program across the Southeast Asian region, both YouTube and Shopee have observed significant active usage and robust purchase activity across a diverse range of product categories, including Beauty, Mobile & Gadgets, and Home & Living.¹⁶ This broad adoption clearly demonstrates the diverse product range that resonates with viewers and the significant potential for trusted creators to effectively influence consumer purchasing decisions. As YouTube Shopping continues its impressive trajectory of growth and adoption throughout Southeast Asia, it is undeniably solidifying its position as a transformative force within both the burgeoning video commerce and dynamic creator economies.

To gain deeper insights and learn more about seamlessly enabling YouTube Shopping on your channel, simply click here.