Black Friday: Jumia to Attract New Shoppers to Deepen Growth

• Black Friday: Jumia to Attract New Shoppers to Deepen Growth

Jumia, Africa’s largest e-commerce, has disclosed that its 2019 Black Friday campaign will attract new shoppers and help deepen the growth of e-commerce in Africa.

Ayobami Martins, the company’s Head of Growth, made the statement in Lagos on Tuesday.

According to him, over 12,000 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) across the country will list over 10 million products on the e-commerce platform during the campaign.

“There are several facets to our Black Friday campaigns. First, it’s a sales event where consumers take advantage of the biggest cost-saving offers through our various deals, huge discounts and flash sales. Second, it’s an opportunity to expand the revenue of our sellers, the entrepreneurs selling on our marketplace. Third, it’s an avenue for the conversion of bricks & mortar shoppers to online shoppers, for them to experience the ease and time-saving benefits that come with e-commerce. Predominantly for us, it’s about increasing the e-commerce access for those who are yet to shop online, or those who shop infrequently,” Martins said.

“Sales campaign like Black Friday provides us with a unique opportunity to increase our product assortment by increasing the number of sellers and products on the platform. Last year, over 10,000 sellers participated in the campaign. This year, we have over 12,000 sellers who will list over 10 million products. It’s majorly an avenue for our sellers to grow, increase their revenue and finish the year with a big bang,” he added.

However, while logistics remains a hindrance to most e-commerce platforms during special sales like Black Friday, Tolulope George-Yanwah, the company’s logistics manager has assured consumers of Just-in-Time delivery during the campaign and even after.

She said the company has identified and corrected logistics challenges that impeded operation last year.

“We have a projection to process 70% more orders than last year’s Black Friday, and we have ensured to put in place an increased workforce, split across the major cities in the country. Our delivery associates have been trained on the best technologies that will aid the discharge of their duties. We have also provided a real-time technology that allows our customers to trace the fulfilment process of their orders from when they are shipped from the warehouse until they are delivered. This is a necessary partnership that we have entered with other delivery companies to support our efforts towards ensuring orders are delivered on time,” George-Yanwah added.