By Adeniyi Ogunfowke
Since the entry of eCommerce in Nigeria, it has grown in leaps and bounds. Of course, it has been robustly and economically pioneered by Jumia, Nigeria’s no 1 shopping destination. These have been boosted in no small measure by increased mobile penetration where there is a sudden shift from PC to Mobile. Today, e-Commerce platforms have disrupted traditional ways of doing business in Nigeria and will continue to thrive. Here are the reasons why.
Convenience
This is the ultimate reason why eCommerce will continue to survive in Nigeria. Nobody wants to return to the days of running around brick and mortar stores to purchase household items when you can easily open your Jumia app and order what you want from anywhere in Nigeria. For this alone, eCommerce will continue to remain relevant in Nigeria.
Innovation and technology
Today’s eCommerce business is completely different from what was obtainable 6 years ago when Jumia kicked off operations in Nigeria. Technology and innovation have completely changed the eCommerce landscape. Now, eCommerce services are customer-focused. This is a key reason why Jumia has become an ecosystem for different services like food, travel, flights, logistics etc. As far as companies continue to innovate and technology is not static, the eCommerce sector will experience rapid growth.
Jobs
There are not enough jobs to go round in Nigeria and clearly, the government cannot do it alone. The private sector is complementing government effort by providing gainful employment notwithstanding whether it’s skilled or unskilled. For an eCommerce company like Jumia, it has empowered vendors, encouraged Nigerians to become entrepreneurs and earn money on the side via its affiliate programmes and Jumia Jforce.
Online payment
eCommerce companies are at the forefront of promoting prepayment for services. They employed trust and juicy incentives to persuade Nigerians to use the prepayment option. This is why Jumia launched Jumia Pay, a payment gateway which every Jumia shopper uses if he/she decides to prepay for transactions rendered. This is easier because Jumia Pay is secure, refunds are simple and there are rewards for prepaying.
Affordable Prices
Considering the fact that orders will be delivered at your doorstep, the cost of items on online stores are largely affordable compared to offline stores. Also, it has a large product and service offerings. You only need to browse through to get your desired item.
