The Nigerian e-commerce industry has a lot of potential, thanks to the nation’s huge population, which makes it pretty much attractive for any daring investor. Be that as it may; it is clear that the industry is passing through a number of challenges, which are both internal and external.
Over the years, the issues of trust, innovation, and customer service within the Nigerian e-commerce ecosystem have become topical and the need to address them in order to deepen the growth of the industry cannot be overemphasised.
In my opinion, I believe that despite the obvious challenge of poor infrastructure, the industry must become more innovative; there is a need to improve on the trust level and take customer service to new heights so as to help deepen the culture of online shopping.
My position has always been that an e-commerce shop is not the easiest of business to run due to a number of factors. Once upon a time, we went into national e-commerce frenzy with everyone opening up online shops. I had friends who invested millions of naira in the industry despite my advice to the contrary. This is due to the fact that a lot is required to run a sustainable e-commerce business.
If you doubt me, go ask the Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, who stated a number of times that if the United States did not have good infrastructure, Amazon might not have survived.
That said, I like the fact that key players in the e-commerce space such as Yudala, Konga and Jumia are doing all they can to stay afloat despite the complexities of running any kind of business in this clime.
I am particularly pleased with Konga’s recent ambitious move to add online groceries category, which virtually takes away 70 per cent income of an average Nigerian.
By implication, Konga will be in line with what the likes of Supermart and Gloo are doing, offering Nigerian customers both perishable and non-perishable items within the shortest time possible because, that is where the issue lies.
Logistics remains a huge challenge when it comes to online shopping in Nigeria and I can only imagine that the type of logistics required to run a grocery delivery business is certainly more bespoke. Think about it; who wants to order fresh vegetables and wait for days to receive them? This is why I think it is commendable that Konga is taking a shot at this segment.
From an economic perspective, if there is a conscious effort to improve — Finish Reading on the Punch Website
