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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider Trade & Industry devider Great Deals targets ₱20-billion H2 sales on AI-commerce push

Great Deals targets ₱20-billion H2 sales on AI-commerce push

Published Aug 28, 2026 03:56 pm
One of Great Deals E-Commerce’s warehouse and fulfillment centers
One of Great Deals E-Commerce’s warehouse and fulfillment centers

The Philippines’ largest e-commerce enabler Great Deals E-Commerce Corp. (GDEC) is ramping up its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered commerce operations in the second half of the year as it targets ₱20 billion in sales during the period.

During the company’s ninth anniversary celebration on Friday, Aug. 28, GDEC chief executive officer (CEO) Steve Sy said the company plans to add 40 new AI livestream sellers this year on top of about 20 currently operating across its 28 studios.

The expansion forms part of GDEC’s push into AI-commerce as the company seeks to harness the technology to scale its live-selling operations while maintaining a workforce that combines human talent with AI.

Sy told reporters that a single AI live-selling account on Shopee generated ₱730,217 in sales over 241 straight hours of livestreaming.

At the same time, Sy dismissed concerns that greater AI adoption would necessarily come at the expense of human workers, saying the technology could instead create different types of jobs and business opportunities.

“When you see the company, there will be more business opportunities you can create. But the kind of work will be different… Right now, we have a blended culture: it’s human talent plus AI-powered system[s],” Sy said.

Sy said GDEC’s employees now work alongside AI “teammates” to improve productivity, while the company’s AI livestream sellers are modeled after its human staff and agents.

GDEC began integrating AI into its operations three years ago, particularly in customer support. Sy said the integration has reduced the company’s customer chat support requirements by 60 percent, with AI now handling 40 percent of customer inquiries.

Beyond its AI-commerce expansion, GDEC is investing in leadership and workforce development in the second half of the year.

Its initiatives include a six-course leadership program for managers, employee engagement activities, AI-based onboarding training for new hires, Claude Pro subscriptions for its leadership team and select roles, and Pusong GDEC, the company’s volunteer program.

The company’s increasing adoption of AI is also expected to support its longer-term growth ambitions.

GDEC’s revenues rose by 28 percent year-on-year to ₱10.6 billion in the first half of 2026.

Last year, Sy said GDEC had grown its revenue more than tenfold over five years, from ₱1.1 billion in 2019 to ₱12.71 billion.

GDEC continues to target ₱100 billion in revenue by 2030, with AI-commerce emerging as another growth driver toward that goal.

The expansion comes amid continued growth in the country’s digital economy. According to last year’s e-Conomy SEA report by Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company, the Philippine e-commerce market is projected to reach approximately $60 billion by 2030. - Danielle T. Bayani

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