Post by Trade Coach on Mar 1, 2017 22:48:04 GMT 1
Online shopping is gradually but steadily becoming a fashionable trend in the country and the multi billion naira industry is now opening job opportunities for thousands of Nigerian youths. On the front row of this new business are Jumia, Konga, DealDey, and OLX. While these ones are expanding their frontier and are in some kind of neck-breaking competition to outsmart one another especially JUmia, which is said to be the leading online shopping concern in Nigeria,
The Thy Communications has it on good authority that some others are warming up to join the fray.
Online shopping found its way into the Nigerian market a few years back. And with the large number of youths who have access to internet via their mobile phones and other platforms, and whose flare for online shopping and transaction is on the increase, the operators may just be in for a huge haul, as long as they are also committed to prompt and excellent delivery of services.
The social importance of online shopping cannot be over emphasised. It has opened the flood-gate of business opportunities for entrepreneurs to meet and trade their stocks. Not only that, the advent of online shopping has allowed young Nigerians to promote their brands, explore business opportunities, and expand frontiers. For a number of skilled young Nigerians who for instance are into shoe making, art and other skills, but who have difficulty promoting their products and skills via the traditional media due to the high cost ef advertising, the launch of online shopping has now provided a formidable platform for them to connect with the teeming online audience that will find their products relevant to their needs.
Another interesting aspect of online shopping is that rather than go through the conventional way of physically visiting shopping malls or the local neighborhood markets to source for goods or services, these can now be done online. With the likes of VConnect and some other organizations whose primary engagement is the provision of addresses and contacts of service providers to the people online, all that a prospective buyer needs to do is type the location of choice and the type of services she wants, and several options will pop up.
Online shopping has also enabled people to dispose of used wares, goods and products on online. Here, both used and new products are displayed on the site for interested buyers to contact the seller. The site only provides the platform for buyers and sellers to meet at no cost and doesn’t interfere in the transaction.
While the advantages of online shopping abound, some otherwise prospects are yet to trust them for quality service, especially in the areas of prompt delivery and quality assurance. This fear may not be unfounded, as there have been cases where promised deadlines were not met, products tampered with and services not provided as agreed, or as expected. While some see this as the risk that comes with business, some agree that it is basically an act of incompetence.
While it is obvious that most online organizations try very hard to meet demands, especially in the seasons of celebration, when orders expectedly are high, meeting deadlines ‘may be a little challenging. But then, the client is not interested in efforts. She wants service, and she wants it promptly delivered.
This leads to the question of the steps being taken by the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), founded to protect consumers from dissatisfied services, to ensure that organizations found wanting, especially in the online shopping sector are sanctioned. The experience now is that organizations are trying to outsmart one another in the business, and in the process, it is not unlikely that the customer may be taken for granted, deceived and their rights trampled upon. It is important therefore that the CPC should anticipate and be proactive.
While there are yet to be reports of high profile fraud cases and other criminal activities in the industry, the CPC and all other relevant organizations should act fast to maintain full sanity by checking from time to time activities of the online organizations and ensuring they conform to the required standard practice and norm.
The Thy Communications has it on good authority that some others are warming up to join the fray.
Online shopping found its way into the Nigerian market a few years back. And with the large number of youths who have access to internet via their mobile phones and other platforms, and whose flare for online shopping and transaction is on the increase, the operators may just be in for a huge haul, as long as they are also committed to prompt and excellent delivery of services.
The social importance of online shopping cannot be over emphasised. It has opened the flood-gate of business opportunities for entrepreneurs to meet and trade their stocks. Not only that, the advent of online shopping has allowed young Nigerians to promote their brands, explore business opportunities, and expand frontiers. For a number of skilled young Nigerians who for instance are into shoe making, art and other skills, but who have difficulty promoting their products and skills via the traditional media due to the high cost ef advertising, the launch of online shopping has now provided a formidable platform for them to connect with the teeming online audience that will find their products relevant to their needs.
Another interesting aspect of online shopping is that rather than go through the conventional way of physically visiting shopping malls or the local neighborhood markets to source for goods or services, these can now be done online. With the likes of VConnect and some other organizations whose primary engagement is the provision of addresses and contacts of service providers to the people online, all that a prospective buyer needs to do is type the location of choice and the type of services she wants, and several options will pop up.
Online shopping has also enabled people to dispose of used wares, goods and products on online. Here, both used and new products are displayed on the site for interested buyers to contact the seller. The site only provides the platform for buyers and sellers to meet at no cost and doesn’t interfere in the transaction.
While the advantages of online shopping abound, some otherwise prospects are yet to trust them for quality service, especially in the areas of prompt delivery and quality assurance. This fear may not be unfounded, as there have been cases where promised deadlines were not met, products tampered with and services not provided as agreed, or as expected. While some see this as the risk that comes with business, some agree that it is basically an act of incompetence.
While it is obvious that most online organizations try very hard to meet demands, especially in the seasons of celebration, when orders expectedly are high, meeting deadlines ‘may be a little challenging. But then, the client is not interested in efforts. She wants service, and she wants it promptly delivered.
This leads to the question of the steps being taken by the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), founded to protect consumers from dissatisfied services, to ensure that organizations found wanting, especially in the online shopping sector are sanctioned. The experience now is that organizations are trying to outsmart one another in the business, and in the process, it is not unlikely that the customer may be taken for granted, deceived and their rights trampled upon. It is important therefore that the CPC should anticipate and be proactive.
While there are yet to be reports of high profile fraud cases and other criminal activities in the industry, the CPC and all other relevant organizations should act fast to maintain full sanity by checking from time to time activities of the online organizations and ensuring they conform to the required standard practice and norm.