CNY Is Coming! Here Are 5 Ways M’sians Can Be Smart Shoppers This Festive Season

January zoomed past us and now CNY is fast approaching! Although celebrations will be a little different this year, that doesn’t mean we can’t still continue our normal traditions like buying new clothes for ourselves and new appliances to spruce up our home!

With all the festive shopping we’ll be doing, it pays off to be a smart shopper. But how do you adopt smart shopping habits? Read on as we share 5 huat tips to maximise your shopping experience!

 

1. Study the seller’s page/website to know who exactly you’re buying from! 

Selling things online is now as easy as ABC so putting in some extra effort to get to know your seller’s reputation before making a purchase is something definitely worth practising!

Here are some tips we find useful when doing this:

• Read through all the reviews (yes the good and bad reviews!) to know what to expect when buying something
• Double-check the seller’s return & refund policy just in case you’re unhappy with your product or service!
• Head over to KPDNHEP’s portal and run the seller’s bank account number through the system to see if there are any complaints or to see if they’re blacklisted

 

2. Opt for flexible payment methods like a ‘buy now, pay later’ option

Stretching your ringgit has never been easier! Did you know there are now flexible payment options that allow you to shop, pay and stretch your payment over time with zero interest and zero service or admin fees?! It can even help you manage your spending better!

With the ‘buy now, pay later’ option, you now have access to things you’ve always wanted without having to pay the full amount upfront but instead, stretch your payments over the course of three months! OMG!

So how can you shop for the things you want and pay for them over a longer period?

Well, look no further than Atome, Asia’s leading ‘buy now, pay later’ brand which is available via the App Store and Google PlayStore!

Wow, that’s cool! So how do Atome’s services work? 

Well, that’s the best part! Atome allows shoppers to split their bills into three, zero interest payments over time, with zero admin, annual or service fees! In case you’re wondering, Atome makes money by charging the merchant a small fee for every transaction. For the consumer, it is FREE to use but make sure you make your payments on time when they are due!

What’s more, the team at Atome were even kind enough to give our WORLD OF BUZZ readers RM15 off their first purchase with a minimum spend of just RM50 by using the promo code ‘WOBCNY15′ at checkout!!

If you’re interested to know more about what they have to offer, make sure to read till the end!

 

3. Check if the store has hiked up their prices on purpose just to slash it during a sale period 

To make it seem like the discount they’re giving is huge, a common trick retailers turn to is to purposely inflate the price of an item just to slash it back to the original price during the sale period!

That way, you’ll think that you’re grabbing a steal but you’re actually paying for the item at its original price! Make sure you never fall victim to these types of scams by doing adequate research before buying something.

 

4. Get second opinions from your friends and family before making the purchase 

We all have that one friend who’s a compulsive online shopper and knows where all the best deals are (is it you?) so it definitely won’t hurt to get their opinion before clicking ‘check out’ on your shopping cart!

Sometimes, they may even know where you can get that same product for a better price. Trust us, you’re not gonna want to make that impulsive purchase only to find it on another platform for WAY cheaper… 💔

 

5. Download browser extensions that can help make online shopping a breeze! 

Did you know that shopping online actually has way more benefits than browsing in-stores? Having a handy tool like browser extensions that do all the hard work for you is awesome!

There are tons of browser extensions that can assist you in many different ways such as identifying which site has the lowest & most competitive pricing all the way to activating cashback so you get more bang for your buck!

 

So now that you know how to be a smart shopper, let’s talk about Atome and what they have to offer!

Who’s Atome and what’s the story behind their brand? 

Atome was set up to improve the lives of consumers through technology and stands for making products and services “Available-TO–ME”. Their goal is to empower a new generation of tech-savvy shoppers with flexible and convenient ways to shop and pay. After much research, they found that young consumers don’t like the idea of applying or using products that charge interest or annual fees. Many of them like to shop but also want a way to manage and control their spending without getting into debt.

Launched in December 2019, Atome already partners over 2,000 online and offline retailers in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Hong Kong and mainland China across popular categories like fashion, beauty, lifestyle, home decor and fitness. Amazing! 

You can also find your favourite Malaysian brands and stores on Atome such as Ezbuy, FlyProject, Hush Puppies, A Cut Above, and more! FYI, new merchant partners are being added every week! All you have to do is click here to shop with Atome today!

Are you excited to start shopping yet? Hold up, let us explain how it works!

1. Head to the App Store or Google PlayStore to download the Atome MY app and complete your account set up by linking your credit or debit card

 

2. Click ‘Shop Now’ in the app and browse through participating outlets and brands and add whatever you want to your cart

 

3. During checkout, select ‘Atome’ as the payment method or scan the QR code 

Your payments will then be automatically split into three, with the first payment due at the point of purchase and the remainder spread 30 days apart!

For example, if you purchased something on 1st March for a total sum of RM300 and chose Atome as your payment method, you’ll be paying just RM100 on 1st March, another RM100 on 1st April, and the final RM100 on 1st May.

 

4. Keep track of all your payments under “Bills” on the Atome MY app. You’ll get an email and mobile notification when your next auto payment deduction is due! 

That’s it! Phew, it’s that easy!

What’s even more amazing is that there is more than RM88,000 up for grabs if you shop with Atome this CNY!

Here’s a step-by-step guide on what you need to do:

Whoever collects all 8 Fortune Tokens will receive an Atome voucher worth RM28! The more ang pows you share with your friends & family, the more vouchers you’ll receive! FYI, you can send ang pows no more than once to the same person.

Now that you’re super excited to start your shopping spree, here are just a few participating outlets where you can use Atome AND grab special vouchers from:

• Hush Puppies — RM20 off with a minimum spend of RM250
• Obermain — RM20 off with a minimum spend of RM250
• Eu Yan Sang — RM28 off with a minimum spend of RM388
• FlyProject — RM30 off with a minimum spend of RM200
• A Cut Above — RM20 off with a minimum spend of RM200
• ONIKYM — RM20 off with a minimum spend of RM150

Ahhh, we’re so excited to start shopping for CNY! Although it may be a little different this year, we still have tons of reasons to be grateful and celebrate with our loved ones while staying safe at home. <3

With Atome, we can now start treating ourselves and our loved ones this CNY! If you wanna treat yourself too, go on and download the Atome app on the App Store or Google PlayStore today!

What are your CNY plans this year? Share with us in the comments below!