More often than not it’s hard to look for gift ideas. Especially now that the pandemic has conditioned us not to go out as much to department stores and other places like Divisoria. As such, as we are used to Shopee and Lazada as our staple shopping channels especially during the double-digit sales every month.
However, GCash has also been building up a marketplace of their own, in the form of GLife. It’s quite timely for this time of the year too as merchants are steadily being added weekly.
Currently, there are now around 270 or so merchants on the platform. A big part of this is retail merchants. As such, we can also find some nice niche gift ideas from shops here for our loved ones, especially for the holidays.
Here is a list of Retail only shops in GLife as of Dec 1, 2021:
| Mini-app | Category | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 11:11 | Food&Drink | offers milk teas, whipped, cheese drinks |
| 0917 Lifestyle | Retail | accessories and gear related to 0917 brand |
| A+ Rewards | Lifestyle | offers rewards for Alipay partners like FoodPanda and gives away freebies as well |
| Activ Gears PH | Retail | active lifestyle related watches, cycling gear and other accessories |
| Affinity Games | Retail | offers collectible card games and accessories |
| AIDE | Health and Wellness | offers healthcare services to GCash |
| All Day Convenience Store | Retail | offers convenience store items for sale |
| AllHome | Retail | home depot type of store |
| Alyanna's Nook | Retail | sells original craft toys and action figures |
| Apple and Eve | Retail | feminine corporate wear and accessories |
| Apple Services Offers | Deals and Rewards | allows you to pay for Apple Music using Gcash |
| Apple Services Offers | Deals and Rewards | offers GCash related deals for Apple Services such as Apple Music, iCloud, etc. |
| Aroma Truffle Philippines | Food&Drink | truffle food products |
| Aug3 Clothing | Retail | climate and socially aware clothing |
| Auntie Anne's | Food&Drink | you can now have your favorite pretzels delivered |
| Baby Cuddle PH | Retail | nursing, baby gear and essentials |
| badomoda | Retail | Filipina centered apparel |
| Bahay Pahulay | Retail | offers home sprays, candles and gift boxes |
| Bailiwick Academy | Lifestyle | ships different baking and cooking ingredients nationwide |
| Banana Leaf | Food&Drink | Singaporean food |
| Banh Mi Kitchen | Food&Drink | has your favorite banh mis and coffee |
| Barcino | Food&Drink | Spanish paella and wine |
| Basically.PH | Retail | offers home related products |
| Beautederm San Juan | Retail | sells skincare products for men and women |
| Beauty Secret | Retail | eyeliners and lashes |
| beep | Transport | allows you to pay for your bus tickets within GCash |
| Belo Essentials | Retail | Belo products for sale |
| Bench | Retail | offers the official Bench catalogue |
| Bfeeding Mum | Retail | fashionable breastfeeding clothes |
| Bibs Manila | Retail | personalized baby bibs |
| Bistro Delivers | Food&Drink | you can order from any Bistro Group restaurant (ex. Italianni's, Fridays, Buffalo Wild Wings, etc) |
| Bloomingails | Services | deliveries for flowers and baked goods |
| Blue Platter Kitchenette | Food&Drink | this is limited to Ilocos Sur patrons, offers comfort food |
| Bo's Coffee | Food&Drink | show your support for the local coffee brand |
| Boozy | Food&Drink | provides delivery for alcoholic drinks any time of the day |
| Borzo | Transport | offers express delivery service |
| Bote Central | Retail | locally sourced coffee beans |
| Botejyu | Food&Drink | Japanese ramen, sushi |
| Brick Lane Doughnuts | Food&Drink | really good doughnuts, but limited to Cebu City currently |
| Bright Skin Philippines | Retail | imported skincare products |
| Cafe Calypso | Retail | coffee related gear, products and beans |
| Cafe Mezzo | Food&Drink | has a varied selection of cuisines, however is limited to Cebu City |
| Carry Me PH | Retail | nice dresses, suits, tops, jumpsuits and jewelry |
| Casa Empanada Harmony | Food&Drink | as the name says, empanadas |
| Case Studio | Retail | iPhone and SG cases |
| Cashback by FindShare | Deals and Rewards | a cashback platform that is tied with a lot of brands |
| Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance | Financial Services | get really affordable insurance |
| CelebrityGreetings.PH | Lifestyle | purchase shout-outs from your favorite celebrities -- more selections than Fanlove |
| Chatime | Food&Drink | offers brewed teas, brown sugar, fruit teas and others |
| Chatime | Food&Drink | mainstream milk tea shop |
| Cha Tuk Chak | Food&Drink | Thai milk teas |
| Chef Tony's Popcorn | Food&Drink | caramel popcorn and now with other flavors |
| Cherry Shop | Retail | a shop that sells all products related to the Cherry Mobile brand |
| Chingolo Deli | Food&Drink | deli that specializes in Bolzico Beef |
| ChinkShop | Retail | sells ebooks and books that cater to entrepreneurship online |
| ChinkTV | Retail | sells online courses centered on personal finance |
| CiderBears | Health and Wellness | offers apple cider vinegar gummy bears |
| Classic Savory | Food&Drink | for ordering their signature fried chicken |
| CNX Home Store | Retail | has smart home appliances and products |
| CoCo Ichibanya PH | Food&Drink | Japanese curry house |
| Coffee Project | Food&Drink | food and coffees |
| ComBTAS C-Expense | Financial Services | used for reimbursements and liquidations, needs a ComBTAS account to use |
| Communimart Philippines | Retail | offers fresh palengke items at low prices |
| Concepstore | Retail | offers mid to high-end appliances |
| Cyma | Food&Drink | for Greek food cravings |
| DataBlitz | Retail | offers original console and PC/MAC games and accessories |
| Daytoday Athleisure | Retail | apparel for athletes |
| Deligood | Retail | Deli products from greens to fresh meats, to fish, to cured meats |
| Domesticity | Retail | has premium home furnishings and accessories |
| Dunkin' | Food&Drink | the famous donuts |
| Econtainer | Retail | sustainable disposable tableware |
| Ecoshoppe PH | Retail | pro-environment and sustainable skincare and foodstuffs |
| eGovernment | None | a central eGov platform for paying all government and LGU related expenses |
| Espa-Fil Market | Retail | Spanish imported food brands |
| EveGrocer | Retail | subscription based fresh food bundles for 2-3 persons |
| Ever Bilena | Retail | official store of the makeup brand |
| EyePro | Retail | nonprescription, antibluelight glasses |
| Fanlove | Lifestyle | offers a platform that provides personalized video messages from your favorite celebrities |
| Farron Cafe Sanjos | Food&Drink | frappes, smoothies, milk tea, yogurt, espressos |
| Farron Café Sanjos | Food&Drink | has iced coffees and fruit blends |
| FitBinge | Health and Wellness | protein bars, supplements for weight loss and wellness |
| Flowers by Sylvia | Services | flower bouquet deliveries |
| Frankie and Friends | Retail | local, ethical, sustainable products |
| Frankie General Store | Retail | premium products from local small businesses |
| Freshmart.ph | Retail | local grocery items |
| Fully Booked | Retail | offers books and other trinkets for the bibliophile |
| Funk Trunk | Retail | wooden home related products |
| GameExtreme | Retail | video game console and accessory brands |
| Gameline | Retail | video games and accessories |
| Game One PH | Retail | provides games and accessories |
| Gaming Library | Gaming | has board/party games and board game accessories |
| Gawin | Services | is a service provider for home/office maintenance needs |
| GCash for Good | Lifestyle | purchase donations with NGOs |
| GCash Pera Outlet | Financial Services | offer GCash services as a tindahan |
| Geekbox PH | Retail | board games and accessories |
| Globe at Home | Lifestyle | manage your Globe at Home account with GCash |
| GlobeOne | None | track usage of your Globe numbers and other products |
| Globe Online Shop | Lifestyle | provides Globe / 0917 centric products |
| GMovies | None | offers tickets and access to movies and streaming services |
| Go! Salads | Retail | fresh, locally sourced salads |
| Goama Games | Gaming | provides casual games |
| Goldilocks | Food&Drink | provides classic cakes and other Filipino food |
| Gomo | Lifestyle | provides SIM cards with no expiring data |
| Gong cha | Food&Drink | you can now order their signature milk tea within GCash |
| Good Cup Coffee | Retail | coffee beans from around the world |
| Go Salads | Food&Drink | for salad cravings |
| Gracefield Farmacy | Health and Wellness | essential oils, dietary supplements |
| Great Brands Shop | Retail | distributor for consumer electronics |
| Gringo | Food&Drink | char grilled chicken and ribs |
| Guitar Pusher | Retail | different guitars, supplies, accessories |
| Guitar Pusher | Retail | offers acoustic and electric guitars and also guitar accessories |
| HairMNL | Retail | provides a large range of hair products |
| Hamlet Kids Room | Retail | kid centric premium cabinets and furnishings |
| Hatid Pinoy | Food&Drink | provides affordable Filipino food, similar to Jade Express |
| Hawker Chan PH | Food&Drink | offers the Michelin Star awarded soy chicken meal for delivery (among others) |
| HealthGrocer | Health and Wellness | provides superfoods and wellness related food products |
| HealthMart | Health and Wellness | supplements and medicine |
| Healthy Harvest | Food&Drink | frozen produce |
| Hobby Corner | Retail | offers one-stop shop for card, tabletop games |
| HomePHL | Retail | home appliances |
| iMilky | Food&Drink | another nice milk tea place |
| Imprint Baby | Retail | baby gear and apparel |
| InLife | Financial Services | affordable term insurance |
| Inlife Health Care | Health and Wellness | health insurance e-vouchers |
| InPlay | Gaming | Pagcor sanctioned casino video games |
| Island Girl | Retail | locally sourced products for home and accessories |
| Island Girl | Retail | resort accessories brand that highlights local materials |
| Itamae | Retail | chef knives and accessories |
| Jade Express | Food&Drink | provides affordable Chinese fare, similar to Hatid Pinoy |
| JBL Store | Retail | store where you can buy branded speakers and headsets |
| Joy In A Bottle | Health and Wellness | essential oils in rollers |
| Junrex Cellphones | Retail | has smartphones, accessories and gadgets |
| Kape Juana | Food&Drink | locally farmed coffee beans |
| Karaf Coffee | Food&Drink | coffee on tap |
| KFC | Food&Drink | provides your KFC favorites |
| Kichitora Ramen | Food&Drink | Paitan ramen |
| King Chef | Food&Drink | Chinese food |
| Kitchen City | Food&Drink | have frozen meals delivered |
| KonsultaMD | Health and Wellness | offers telemedicine consults in Gcash |
| Kool PH | Retail | insulated tumblers and yoga mats |
| Kraver's Canteen | Food&Drink | a cloud kitchen that provides a variety of cuisines (from Japanese, Korean, American, Mexican to Indian) |
| Kumori | Food&Drink | Japanese style baked goods |
| Lazada | None | provides an online shopping platform |
| Lil Haven | Retail | DIY miniatures and dollhouses |
| Lily Jewelry | Retail | jewelry line by a mother-daughter duo |
| Lily of the Valley | Retail | feminine underwear, loungewear, and period products |
| Linya-Linya | Retail | has your favorite witty Filipino products |
| LiquorPH | Food&Drink | liquors for delivery |
| Liquor Warehouse | Food&Drink | liquors for delivery |
| LivClean | Services | cleaning Supplies and Bundles for sale |
| Lumina Homes | Services | e-vouchers for house purchases |
| Luxx Lash | Retail | lashes and nail wraps |
| Macao Imperial Tea | Food&Drink | offers the famous cheesecake/cream cheese milk tea |
| Made by KCA | Retail | offers hand created jewelry, accessories and you can also customize |
| Magnificent Hardware | Retail | hardware shop focusing on parts |
| Mamafood Cloud Kitchen | Food&Drink | cloud kitchen with Mama Lou's and other selections |
| Mama Foods Cloud Kitchen | Food&Drink | offers a variety of foods, similar to Kraver's Canteen |
| Mama Lou's | Food&Drink | for Italian food cravings |
| Manilachon | Food&Drink | you can have lechon porchetta delivered from within GCash |
| Marikina Bakery | Food&Drink | panaderya staples |
| Marina | Food&Drink | for Ilonggo seafood delicacies |
| Mayani Inc | Retail | cheap, locally sourced fruits and vegetables |
| MAZEE jewelry | Retail | non tarnish and hypoallergenic jewelry |
| McDonald's | Food&Drink | you can now have your meals delivered without using the McDelivery app |
| Mediclick | Health and Wellness | medicines and healthcare |
| Merry Moo | Food&Drink | tasty ice cream |
| Metrodeal | Deals and Rewards | offers promos via vouchers |
| mgames | Gaming | Compete with other players and win actual cash depending on your place in the leaderboard |
| milkwear | Retail | colorful streetwear |
| Minii Mart Ph | Retail | general merchandise that focuses on beauty, home and vehicle improvement products |
| Miniland Dolls Philippines | Retail | dolls and home products that are focused on kids |
| Mistine | Retail | skin care products from the Thai brand |
| Mitsuyado Sei-men PH | Food&Drink | the famous tsukemen |
| Momzilla | Retail | parenting related products |
| Monita & Endearring | Retail | fashion accessories |
| Moonleaf | Food&Drink | another milk tea selection within GCash |
| Moshi Koshi Noodle Boss | Food&Drink | offers ramen, soba, udon from scratch |
| Muyoo Philippines | Food&Drink | Singaporean breads and fruit teas |
| Nacho King | Food&Drink | has chips, dips and promos |
| Nacho King | Food&Drink | nachos and tortillas |
| Nala Woman | Retail | biodegradable feminine pads and other period-related products |
| Nanyang | Food&Drink | has Southeast Asian (mainly Singaporean) flavors |
| Narra Wooden Watches | Retail | stylish wooden watches |
| Natu Handcraft Studio | Retail | scented candles, essential oils, shampoo bars |
| Neo Mangosteen | Health and Wellness | Neo mangosteen liquid supplements |
| Nuclei Apparel | Retail | apparel and cosmetics |
| Object Depot | Retail | has high-end home furnishings and coffee brewing essentials |
| One World Deli | Food&Drink | steak, wine, cheese |
| Organono Shop | Services | offers modular screwless cabinets |
| Outliers Studios | Retail | everyday and outdoor wear |
| Oven Depot | Retail | ovens, high quality cooking accessories |
| Pacific Bay | Retail | provides fresh seafood and meat products |
| Panda Ice Cream | Food&Drink | specialties include fried ice cream and other related products |
| Paper Moon | Food&Drink | mille crepes |
| Paradise Dynasty | Food&Drink | offers 8 flavored xiao long baos |
| Pasta Depot | Food&Drink | all your pasta faves |
| Penny Pairs | Retail | has gold earrings and necklaces |
| Pepi Cubano | Food&Drink | cubanos for delivery |
| Peri-peri Charcoal Chicken | Food&Drink | for satisfying cravings of this Portuguese favorite grilled chicken |
| Petmart | Retail | has pet accessories and foodstuffs |
| Philippe Gadgets and Accessories | Retail | distributor for consumer electronics, same as Great Brands Shop |
| Pisikal Fitness | Retail | fitness gear |
| PitmastersLive | Gaming | provides games of chance with e-sabong |
| Pixi | Retail | Facial skincare, glow serums |
| Private Storey | Retail | Sleepwear and Loungewear for women |
| Promate | Retail | travel adapters and car accessories |
| Purego | Retail | a tie-up with 917Ventures and Puregold that presents a better experience for ordering groceries |
| Puregold | Retail | allows you to order groceries online for pickup or delivery via a third party courier |
| Racks | Food&Drink | offers house favorites like baby back ribs and steaks |
| Rackshack | Food&Drink | offers baby back ribs as in the name |
| Raising Little | Retail | has kids wear from different brands |
| Rare Food Shop | Retail | has meat products, plant based substitutes and ready-to-eat meals |
| Raw Bites | Retail | gourmet adult and baby food |
| Real Scents | Retail | linen sprays, room sprays, essential oils |
| Recess | Retail | you can order lifestyle and activewear mainly for women |
| Relx | Retail | offers vape products, pods and subscriptions |
| Ren Marble | Retail | marble kitchen gear and decorations |
| RunIt Decks | Gaming | offers different Bicycle playing cards and card related puzzles |
| Sargo! Express | Food&Drink | Filipino comfort food bilaos and party trays |
| Scentful Living | Retail | scents - room sprays, diffusers, candles |
| Season Pass | Retail | apparel and season pass clothes |
| Shopleaf Plant Studio | Retail | plants for plantitos and plantitas |
| Shop Lifestyle | None | offers lots of different vouchers for purchase, powered by Globe |
| Shotify Online Liquor Delivery | Retail | if you need high class liquor delivered |
| Sijang Mart | Retail | Korean products and groceries |
| Simply Modular | Retail | modular cabinets |
| SkinB5 | Retail | skincare kits |
| Souv | Food&Drink | for everyday Greek food (as an offshoot of Cyma) |
| Styleshops | Retail | shop from local brands Bayo, Unica and Viseversa |
| Sunday Moderne Beauty | Retail | beauty and makeup |
| Sunmart | Food&Drink | cooking and pastry products |
| Taichung Pearl | Food&Drink | offers milk, cream cheese, fruit teas and snacks |
| Tankobonbon | Retail | your favorite tankobons, light novels, manga |
| Tapa King | Food&Drink | you can order your Filipino breakfast favorites |
| Taste and See | Food&Drink | Filipino sweets |
| Tendon Kohaku | Food&Drink | tendon, sashimi shop |
| Tenya Philippines | Food&Drink | specializes in Tempura Tendon |
| The Black Bean | Food&Drink | specialty coffee shop |
| The Coding School | Lifestyle | purchase coding, robotics, and engineering courses |
| The Eco Shift | Retail | plastic packaging free skincare products |
| The Empress Dining Palace | Food&Drink | for Chinese lauriat cuisine items |
| The Good Store | Retail | community-based and cause-driven products |
| The Laptop Lifestyle | Retail | for work-at-home related products |
| The Laundrafe Group | Food&Drink | food, laundry, parcel services |
| The Lounge Edit | Retail | offers curated homewares and casual wear |
| Theo and Philo | Retail | Filipino chocolates, bars, drinks, bakery goods |
| The Superfood Grocer | Retail | healthy superfood and vegan grocery |
| Tiny Buds Baby Naturals | Retail | offers baby and toddler products |
| Tokyo Bubble Tea | Food&Drink | has milk tea with a Japanese twist, also offers cheesecake, and savory items |
| Tous Les Jours | Food&Drink | Korean french pastries |
| Triber Philippines | Deals and Rewards | allows to group buy deals at discounted rates |
| Trinkets | Retail | affordable shop jewelry |
| Trizie | Retail | a wellness brand focused on food supplements |
| Truewin PH | Food&Drink | fruit teas and souffles |
| Urban Artisan | Food&Drink | well curated party trays |
| Urban Gardening Shop | Retail | for plantitos and plantitas |
| Ur so Pretea | Food&Drink | bubble tea and snack bar |
| Ur so Pretea | Food&Drink | affordable milk teas and nutella and hazelnut teas |
| vivo | Retail | vivo cellphones and accessories |
| Vornado | Retail | official distributor of Vornado fans and other accessories |
| VPharma | Health and Wellness | health and dietary supplements |
| Warehouse Club PH | Retail | all types of warehouse product |
| Wear Vamos | Retail | sport performance apparel |
| WGE Asia | Retail | mishmash of different feminine products - shirts, beauty, watches |
| Wharton | Retail | affordable office wear for men |
| What's Up Brew? | Food&Drink | good coffee for coffee lovers |
| Wholemart PH | Retail | groceries for delivery |
| Wildflour | Food&Drink | offers products from different Wildflour cafes |
| Wildleaf | Retail | branded facial skincare |
| Wing Zone | Food&Drink | chicken wings |
| XTREME Appliances | Retail | offers home appliances |
| Xtremely Xpresso Cafe | Food&Drink | bistro style restaurant |
| Yellow Cab | Food&Drink | pizza, pasta, chicken |
| Yogorino | Food&Drink | frozen yogurt |
| Yum Cha Cuisine | Food&Drink | offers breakfast-lunch-dinner type set meals and other specific diets |
| Zark's Burgers | Food&Drink | burgers and fast food |
| Ziya | Retail | colorful, bohemian style clothes |
| `'s Kitchen | Food&Drink | shop for frozen chinese dimsum items |
Some of these shops also have promos depending on the time of year. We can see it in splash screens in GCash whenever we open our apps, or we can scroll to the promos section on the front page of the app.
My Experience Buying from a GLife Retail Merchant
One day, I got tired of looking for gifts for my wife in Lazada/Shopee. I didn’t know what she really wanted and I was getting analysis paralysis because of the sheer number of products on both platforms.
I tried opening up my GLife and looked under the Retail category. After the first few merchants, I noticed this cute shop: Lil Haven. They sell affordable DIY miniatures. I knew that my wife loved design and arts and crafts and so I offered this as my gift to her. She loved it.
So I bought a couple of miniatures for her and they arrived a few days later in pretty nice packaging. The whole experience was really hassle-free.
I tried to look for other nice gift ideas and I saw some interesting shops, like these for example:
- Made by KCA – customized hand created jewelry
- Linya-Linya – witty shirts
- Hobby Corner / Geekbox PH – tabletop games
- Guitar Pusher – guitars and guitar accessories
- Narra Wooden Watches – intricate wooden watches
- Bfeeding Mum – fashionable breastfeeding clothes
- The Good Store – offers community-based and cause-driven products
- Data Blitz / Game One PH / Gameline / GameExtreme – video games and consoles
- Pisikal Fitness / Activ Gears PH / Recess – activewear and workout gear
- Tankobonbon – original manga and tankobons for weebs
- Urban Gardening Shop – plants for plantitos/plantitas
There are other niche shops like baby clothes and kidswear, skincare, scents and candles, and others. We can expect quite a few shops to be added weekly in GLife.
Can I use GCredit with Retail GLife merchants?
Unfortunately no, we can only use GCredit with Food&Drink merchants currently.
Does ordering from these shops include delivery?
Yes, depending on the merchant, you may need to pay additional fees.
Summary
As an alternative to Lazada/Shopee, we can also look into GLife as our source of gift ideas. We can find niche and novel products here. Some stores have GLife as their only retail channel so there’s exclusivity as well.
I have a new e-commerce site where you can buy some e-books here: GCR Prime
After reading about what GCash is, here are the main GCash features:
Fund Transfers:
Payments:
Cashing In/Out: