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November and December are the busiest selling months of the year for Filipino online shops. 11.11 falls on November 11, 12.12 on December 12, and in between come two paydays a month, 13th month pay and Christmas gift shopping. Sellers who prepare early ride the wave. Sellers who wing it end up with oversold stock, late parcels and a pile of bad reviews in January.
This is a practical checklist for small online sellers on Shopee, Lazada, TikTok Shop and Facebook. It covers stock, pricing, promos and the permit rules, posting, delivery and customer service, in the order you should tackle them.
Two weeks before 11.11: check your numbers first
- Know your real margin per item. List product cost, platform commission and payment fees (from your own Seller Center statement), packaging and shipping. A discount that looks small can wipe out your whole profit.
- Pick a short list of sale items. Choose your proven best sellers and a few slow movers you want to clear. Do not put your whole catalogue on sale.
- Count the stock you can actually pack. Campaign stock should match what you and your team can ship on time, not just what is in the bodega. Late shipping and cancellations hurt your shop rating on most platforms.
- Check marketplace campaign pages. Shopee and Lazada usually ask sellers to register products for mega campaigns ahead of the sale date, with their own rules on price and stock. Read the current campaign page in your Seller Center and note the deadline.
Set honest prices and promos
- Do not raise prices before the sale to fake a bigger discount. Buyers screenshot prices, and marketplace campaign rules commonly compare against your recent selling price.
- Use simple offers. A free-shipping minimum, a bundle (buy 2, save more) or a voucher for repeat buyers is easier to understand than a complicated mechanic.
- Raffles, contests and games need a permit. Under the Consumer Act (RA 7394), anyone running a sales promotion such as a raffle, contest, game, premium, redemption or advertised discount must first get a permit from the DTI (or the DOH for products it regulates) at least 30 days before the promo starts. That means it is already too late to apply for an 11.11 raffle, but there is still time to plan one properly for later promos.
- Some promos do not need a permit. DTI’s helpdesk lists exceptions such as in-store price reductions and discount sales that are not advertised. Once you post or advertise the promo online, assume the permit rules apply and check with DTI.
- Never sell raffle “slots”. DTI says activities where people pay for a slot or ticket for a chance to win are a form of gambling and are not covered by a DTI sales promo permit.
Get your paperwork in order
- Business registration and BIR. Marketplaces ask for your business and tax details in Seller Center, and the receipts you issue should match your BIR registration.
- Permits for regulated products. Under the Internet Transactions Act (RA 11967), sellers of regulated products such as food, cosmetics or health items need the proper permits, and marketplaces ask you to upload them for those listings.
- Accurate listings. Make sure product names, sizes, prices and photos match what the buyer will receive.
Plan your posts around the selling calendar
Map out the next eight weeks on one page:
- Teasers 3 to 5 days before each sale day, with the exact products and prices.
- Sale-day posts on November 11 and December 12, plus a “last few hours” reminder.
- Payday pushes around the 15th and 30th, when many workers receive their salary.
- Christmas gift angles from late November: gift bundles, budget picks under a set price, and “order by” reminders based on your courier’s posted holiday schedule.
Batch the work. Shoot product photos in one session, then write or generate all the captions and graphics for a whole week at once. If you want to use AI for the visuals and captions, our step-by-step guide on how to make Facebook ads and posts for your online shop using AI walks through the process and the rules to follow. Holo AI is one paid tool that can draft a month of posts in one go; you can see Holo AI’s current plans here (referral link). Check every price, date and product detail before anything goes live.
Prepare delivery and packing before the rush
- Stock up on packaging (pouches, bubble wrap, tape, thermal paper) at least a week early.
- Set up a packing station and a simple order checklist so the wrong item does not go out.
- Know your couriers’ holiday schedules. Check each courier’s announced cut-off dates for Christmas delivery and post your own “order by” date a few days earlier.
- Be clear about delivery times. State realistic shipping times on your listings and posts during peak weeks.
Handle customer service during sale week
- Prepare saved replies for common questions: stock, sizes, shipping fees, delivery times and returns.
- Reply fast. Chat response rate affects buyer trust and, on some platforms, your shop rating.
- Write down your return and refund rules and follow the marketplace’s own policy for orders placed there.
- Watch for scams. Ignore “buyers” who ask you to move payment or chat off the platform, and never share one-time PINs.
After the sale: review and reset for 12.12
- List which products sold, which did not, and which offers drove the most orders.
- Check your actual profit after fees, not just total sales.
- Read your reviews and fix the most common complaint before 12.12.
- Restock winners early, because suppliers get busy in December too.
The bottom line
The holiday rush rewards preparation more than big discounts. Know your margins, keep your promos honest and permitted, plan your posts ahead and make sure you can ship on time. Do that for 11.11, and 12.12 and Christmas become much easier.
Sources
- DTI E-Sigaw, Sales Promo Application: https://esigaw.dti.gov.ph/e-sigaw-services/e-konsyumer-corner/consumer-info-hub/sales-promo-application/ (checked Oct 23, 2026)
- DTI IREGIS Helpdesk, What promotional activities are not covered? (DTI DAO 2 s. 1993): https://iregis-helpdesk.dti.gov.ph/support/solutions/articles/158000433500-what-promotional-activities-are-not-covered- (checked Oct 23, 2026)
- DTI IREGIS Helpdesk, Activities where participants purchase raffle tickets or slots: https://iregis-helpdesk.dti.gov.ph/support/solutions/articles/158000433530 (checked Oct 23, 2026)
- Republic Act No. 7394, Consumer Act of the Philippines: https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra1992/ra_7394_1992.html
- Republic Act No. 11967, Internet Transactions Act of 2023: https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2023/ra_11967_2023.html
- Shopee PH Seller Education Hub, Selling on Shopee: https://seller.shopee.ph/edu/article/632 (checked Oct 23, 2026)
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