Shopee Philippines said it is accelerating efforts to make online buying and selling faster and more accessible nationwide, particularly in the Visayas and Mindanao, as part of its long-term push to reduce geographic barriers in e-commerce.

In a country where distance and island geography have traditionally added cost and time to deliveries, Shopee said it continues to expand its logistics and fulfillment capabilities outside major urban centers, marking more than a decade of operations in the Philippines.

E-commerce has become a vital channel for Filipino consumers and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), but moving goods across islands has remained a challenge, especially for sellers and buyers outside Luzon. Shopee said strengthening access in the Visayas and Mindanao helps ensure that product availability is less dependent on where sellers are physically located.

In an archipelagic setting like the Philippines, the platform enables sellers to position products closer to buyers through platform-supported solutions that reduce reliance on long cross-island routes.

Through its Fulfilled by Shopee (FBS) program, sellers can store inventory in Shopee-supported facilities, with packing and shipping handled by an ecosystem of third-party logistics partners. The company said this setup allows sellers to focus on product quality, pricing, and customer service while improving delivery reliability for buyers in the Visayas and Mindanao.

For consumers, Shopee said the expanded fulfillment network has translated into more consistent availability of everyday items and faster deliveries. Average delivery times for many VisMin orders have been shortened from around seven days to about three to four days, helping create more predictable timelines and costs for both sellers and buyers.

“Making e-commerce work for the whole country means continuing to build capabilities that serve both buyers and sellers wherever they live,” said Vincent Lee, Head of Shopee Philippines. “Our focus in Visayas and Mindanao builds on years of work to make buying and selling online easier and more reliable, while improving access for communities outside major urban centers.”

Shopee said its initiatives in the Visayas and Mindanao are also tied to broader efforts to support Filipino MSMEs. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, sellers have logged more than 110,000 hours of training through Shopee University, gaining practical skills in pricing, marketing, customer service, and daily business operations.

The company also expects its VisMin operations to support around 1,500 employment opportunities by 2026, covering platform operations and seller enablement roles that help strengthen local participation in the e-commerce ecosystem.

As Shopee enters its next decade in the Philippines, the company said it remains focused on expanding access, supporting livelihoods, and ensuring that the growth of e-commerce is more evenly distributed across the country.