Bare necessities. The fact that people will always have need for food and clothing is what Raphael Afaedor, MD Supermart.ng, and other e-commerce masters have capitalised on, as a backbone for launching online shops on the streets of the internet.
Supermart.ng is two years old, and has been met with exceptional success in the boom of e-commerce. It is not the conventional walk-in supermarket; it will rather be appropriate to term it a sign-up supermarket. Starting with Lagos, Nigeria, the online market specialises in delivering grocery to households within an average of three hours.
Though it has no store of its own, this platform meets the needs of her customers by combing up orders from over 20 retail outlets and delivering at their doorsteps within a few hours.
It is needless to say that e-commerce has come to stay. Time, in the digital age, travels faster than a jet. Mounting on the wings of the jet age which mechanised mundane activities and chores in its era, this age would have to deliver more in little time. With people having to cater to more needs, working more than one job both on site and online, there are more things that need more time, and activities like going to shop would need to be streamlined to the barest.
Understanding these needs, online markets have one thing in common; to reverse the shopping experience by bringing the market home to clients via internet orders. Every other thing in-between is a strategic means to that end.
Perhaps, what has distinguished Supermart.ng within the space of one year is the ability to feel like the consumer. Realising that not every item on a list might be met by one mall, their team of trained shoppers (known as Personal Shoppers) take it upon themselves to search other malls with whom they partner with, or proffer a close alternative if the spec requested for was not available. Suggested replacements are not binding upon the buyer, and will only be purchased upon confirmation.
Another thing that might interest customers is the Supermart Referral Program in which users earn points by referring friends to Supermart. Though not cash, the points are virtual value credits used to offset purchases within a timeframe of 3 months. This is a creative way to engage customers and enlarge the company’s client database.
Entrepreneurs who view e-commerce as a new world in which markets can be built rather than a commercial sector that might soon hit a saturation bust owing to an inevitable boom and bust of the economic cycle have better chances of success. From man’s first business transaction ever, commerce has been hinged on the exchange or buying and selling of commodities. E-commerce simply means carrying out businesses over the internet. Mr Afaedor advises entrepreneurs to carve a niche for themselves within the market, focus on meeting particular needs and decide on a model for expansion and profitability for their organisation.