Lazada sees bigger earnings, taps into AI to boost customer experience

MANILA -- Lazada said it achieved positive earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) for the first time in July, reaffirming its continued investments in Southeast Asia.

The e-commerce giant however did not disclose details about its earnings and profits during the period.

In a statement, the company also said it is further boosting its operations in the Philippines by expanding its operations in Visayas and Mindanao.

"With the promising growth of e-commerce in our market, we are staying focused on helping more Filipinos live convenient, tech-enabled lives," said Lazada Philippines CEO Carlos Barrera.

Lazada also said it has made use of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve its customers' shopping experience.

During its 11.11 sale, Lazada said its AI chatbot AI Lazzie helped streamline customer inquiries. 

Its GenAI features also summarized product reviews and key selling points to help customers make their buying choices, and make specific product recommendations for them.

Lazada said it also improved its image-based search, skin analyzer and virtual try-ons for those buying clothes and beauty products.

Lazada also improved its return and refund policy, allowing it customers to return their items within 30 days. It also allowed more products to be returned to sellers because the customers changed their minds.