Paul ADEPOJU: Few weeks ago, I saw very attractive earphones on one of Nigeria’s major ecommerce platforms and the price was too good to be true so I did what any person would do, I ordered it. But when the earphones finally arrived, it was nothing like what I saw online and I was too ashamed to argue with the customer care rep considering the very low price. I felt duped but I took solace in the fact that I’m not the only one with similar experience.
In their attempt to make profits, ecommerce companies in Nigeria and beyond often evolve new strategies many of which may not be in the best interest of the consumer. And when a customer has a bad experience, he or she may be reluctant to shop online in subsequent times – especially if it’s someone that finds it difficult to let go. This is why online companies in Nigeria need to ensure they don’t make the customer’s first online shopping experience to be the last. A new online supermarket is aware of this and is taking the interest of the online shoppers very seriously. The platform is www.value4naira.com
value4naira.com is an online supermarket which hopes to cater to the needs of busy Nigerians in terms of grocery shopping and purchase of household items. We also want to ensure that they enjoy a beautiful shopping experience while enjoying premium customer service at the cheapest prices,” so says Umeike Ernest, Chief Operations Officer for the platform.
According to Ernest, the company has a team with more than 15 years of experience in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) market segment, e-commerce and banking.
“This gives us a good understanding of customer needs in terms of price sensitivity, robust supply chain and dynamic customer care. We have chosen the supermarket segment of e-Commerce because we know that we can assure customers of the best prices, widest options and effective supply system to make this a wonderful shopping experience.”
But it would require more conviction for any online company to allay the concerns of its shoppers who are scared of being swindled. For value4naira.com, Ernest says they’ve secured a number of partnerships that makes it possible for their products on the platform to be sold at the lowest prices.
“We have gone into the right partnerships to ensure that our customers are assured of the cheapest prices in the online supermarket segment of e-Commerce in Nigeria. The partnerships grow by the day and can only serve to reinforce the quality and variety of products and the competitive prices customers pay for them.”
Delivery
Thanks to the fierce competition in Nigeria’s ecommerce space, companies are no longer relying on their low prices alone to lure online shoppers; they are also competing to be the ones that deliver quickest which is why same day delivery is no longer a dream in a country that now has companies offering 3-hour delivery services. value4naira.com’s COO affirmed that they are aware of this development and they are starting with same day delivery in the city of Lagos.
“We have a same day delivery option. We are targeting more locations in Lagos than our competitors so assure a larger demographic that we will serve them same day if they order before 11am and the next day if they order after 11am.”
“We find better ways of improving our processes. As a growing startup, we need to concentrate on our key competencies and make sure we harness them in such a way that our customers enjoy their shopping experience and not just come back to shop but also become our brand ambassadors and let their friends, family, colleagues and neighbours look forward to the experience of shopping on www.value4naira.com,” he told TechCity.
Beyond the delivery duration and low prices, an ecommerce company’s ability to rightly deal with unplanned situations and service disruption would also go a long way in determining which platform will survive the test of time. You can understand that when you closely observe how certain procedural aberrations are handled – such as delivering the wrong item to customers
“We have experienced that before and frankly, we had contingencies in place in case this occurs. We ensure that the customer confirms an order beforehand and even when there is still an item, our delivery man alerts our customer care unit. The adjustments are made to the invoice and the customer can pay the new total price (we offer the payment on delivery option). The instant money back option is also a feature of our payment system- The delivery man returns the cash to the customer if they have made an online payment prior to delivery and have a complaint.”
Ernest also believes that the company is meeting the needs of its customers and he supported his claim by referring to shoppers’ feedback.
“We have had positive feedback from the vast majority of our customers. We were so glad about this that over the Easter Break we delivered some chocolate and sweets to our customers to thank them for choosing www.value4naira.com,” he said.
Without any doubt, ecommerce is one of the very cool innovations of this generation; Ernest agreed with us and he also expressed about the tech surge in Nigeria.
“Any innovation is beneficial. Nigeria will be the better for it eventually. Some startups may come up before their time but I hope the founders remain resolved and dogged. They should be aware there are a lot of battle hardened entrepreneurs out there who have experiences to share and who prove that staying the course has its reward,” he told us.