E commerce giant Jumia, has rolled out new standards vendors on its platform are expected to adhere to. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, Juliet Annumah made the disclosure at an event held to reward them. Vendors are businesses that sell goods using the Jumia platform.
What does Jumia do ?
Contrary to what many think, Jumia does not sell the goods but merely acts as a platform bringing together sellers and buyers.
What are the standards to be met ?
Vendors are expected to deliver orders within 24 hours. In addition, goods advertised should be genuine and always in stock.
Consequences of vendors failing
Delivering items late will result in a N2500 fine. Selling substandard goods will amount to a N50,000 fine. Vendors that run out of stock will be fined N2500.
Why is Jumia doing this ?
Reputation matters. While Jumia merely facilitates these transactions, customers tend to associate any bad experiences they have with the platform. This then discourages them from using the platform.
Where are the carrots ?
While Jumia has valid reasons for taking these measures, the company would achieve better compliance if it sought to find out from the vendors, why meeting these targets has been difficult.
Increasing competition in the ecommerce sector means excellent service will be critical to not just retaining existing customers but attracting new ones.
About Jumia
Jumia, formerly known as Africa Internet Group (AIG), is a system of online commerce, marketplaces and classifieds websites and applications created in 2012. Started in Lagos, the company has since expanded to several African countries was established Jumia is one of the largest online retail stores in Nigeria with over 1.5 million subscribers.
The company currently has a staff strength of over 1000 employees. In addition to its popular consumer goods store, the Jumia family also comprises other sites including Jumia travel, ad Jumia Food which is a food delivery service.