Jipaban: The Future of Online Shopping

Hi shopping kaki! :) Let's take a moment to think how far technology has brought us in terms of shopping. If you are reading this article in the first place, chances are that you are an online shopper. Isn't that a fascinating concept?

We no longer have to drive our cars out or take the LRT to the nearest shopping mall, look for parking, walk all over the mall to look for what we want to buy, push and shove in clearance sales, worry about being pickpocketed during sample sales ... all because we now have the option of shopping from the comfort of our homes (or offices) with a couple of clicks of the mouse and an e-banking account. How convenient can technology get, right? :D

What if we could just "walk" into an online shopping mall, like in Second Life or The Sims?

And then I think to myself - where is this leading? Right now, we have over a thousand blogshops (blog-based online stores). It's a superhuman feat for reviewers like Your Shopping Kaki to ever compile every single blogshop in existence and link the web addresses on the already-bursting blogrolls on the sidebar. What if ... just what if ... every shop was set up in a "virtual shopping mall", with different floors and categories, and when we wanted to shop online, we just "walk" into that one online shopping mall? Reviewers could still review items and trends and write articles, sellers could sell all their items in rented "spaces", and online shoppers could shop online more conveniently than ever before!

Little did I know that such a thing was already in the works, already intensely popular in Singapore - and it is now taking Malaysia by storm ever since it was launched on November 18th 2010!

Allow me to introduce to you ...
Jipaban!

Jipa-what?

"Hold on to your horses, shopping kaki! What is Jipaban?" Hehe don't worry, dear readers, I was as blur as some of you might be right now - I'd never heard of Jipaban as I don't keep up with the Singapore online shopping scene (Malaysia has got my hands full! :P), and only when Nuffnang contacted me to write this advertorial did I truly research about this revolutionary idea. Turns out even Xiaxue has blogged about Jipaban before :D And I'm pretty blown away by the possibilities!

The short answer is that Jipaban is a customizable online shopping mall with integrated social networking elements.

The long answer: it puts online shopping in ONE place, ONE website. Each individual shopper "builds" his or her own "mall" - maybe you only like gadgets, while she likes jewelry, I like shops with the first letter "J" only, that kind of thing :D And the social networking element is pretty darn cool - there are many like Facebook and Twitter, but my two favourites are:

• the "wishlist" - you can add items to your wishlist! Maybe you can save up to buy the items or your friend/boyfriend can see it and grant your wish for your birthday/X'mas/Saturday! :P

• a cool "egg-on" list - when I see something I like online, I have to Gchat/MSN/Whatsapp/Ping!Chat half a dozen people and ask, "Woi! What do you think of these shoes? Nice boh?" But with the "egg on list", you can post up any item there that you're thinking of buying - and your friends can "egg you on" to buy it or "smash" the egg and tell you it's ugly, don't buy it! :P

How does Jipaban work?

It's so easy, just look at the steps below! :D

Go to the homepage, sign up, and create your own mall by dragging and dropping your favourite stores into your "mall"! :D You can browse products by category or just browse every shop on Jipaban (currently there are about 45 stores available, with 29 of them based in Singapore).

Hehehe I addded all the shops available, so one of the "Floors" in my mall is full already :P

For a 3-minute crash course on Jipaban, watch the adorable video below:

Click *here* for more info for shoppers and sellers!

How to shop at Jipaban?

• So you've created your own mall, and now what? How do you start shopping? :D
• Step 1: Visit any store that catches your eye.
  

• Step 2: Click on the item you're interested in.
  

• Step 3: Check all the details - I'm especially loving the number of pictures provided for each item, so we have a better idea of what is being sold! :)
  

• Step 4: Send any enquiries you have to the seller, via the "Contact" tab on the right.
  

• Step 5: If you don't have any questions or you've found the answers, buy the item! :D Click "add to shopping cart" and then checkout :) See the trolley icon on the top right corner? That's your shopping cart :P
  

• Step 6: Select the bank you want to pay to, then select your own bank and click "Pay Now". Then key in your banking details! :) It's really easy to use - and if you don't want to use iBanking, PayPal makes international shopping a lot easier :D
  

What are the benefits of Jipaban?

Some of the best benefits for shoppers:

• It makes online shopping easier and more straightforward. Instead of every blogshop having a different way of doing things, now your online shopping is more streamlined! :)
  
• There are many payment methods in Jipaban - from online banking like Maybank2u to PayPal.
  
• There is a vast variety of shops in the "Jipaban Universe", and the best part is that you can "build your own custom mall"! :D You don't need to bookmark 500 blogshop links in your Internet Explorer browser because now you can arrange your own mall in Jipaban :P You can choose what you want to see in your mall: just drag and drop!
  
• Signing up is FREE!

Some of the advantages for sellers:

• This is the BEST time for retailers to join, because you get 75% discount for 6 months' rent! Why? Because Jipaban is new to Malaysia, so if you support it starting now, of course you're bound to benefit! :D
• The other critically important point is that Jipaban does your advertising for you both online and offline! :) Don't forget, Jipaban is linked to online powerhouses like Nuffnang and ChurpChurp! :D
• Plus they post some shout-outs for you on their Facebook page! For example:
  

• Also, all the tenants' updates will appear on the "What's New?" page in your "mall" :D

Which shops are a part of Jipaban already?

There are already 102 stores from Malaysia and Singapore, and more being added all the time! :D

What kind of items are available?

All the stuff we love buying online, like apparel and accessories! :) My favourite items include personalized name necklaces, quirky lapel pins, bags (even designer bags are available here!), convertible jumpsuits (oooooh!), soft toys and maxi dresses :D

So, Jipaban is definitely going to be my go-to site when I want to shop online! :D

Will it be yours too? Try it out today! ;)

Click HERE to visit Jipaban now! :D

Do share your comments below on your thoughts, questions and experience!
And check out their Facebook and Twitter pages too :)

Happy Shopping!
Your Shopping Kaki :)