Nigerian e-commerce company, Konga has revealed only a quarter of the Nigerian population has been captured by online shopping platforms in the country despite the buzz around the technological breakthrough.
Konga disclosed 70 per cent of the Nigerian population is yet to join the e-commerce tide, leaving e-commerce companies in Nigeria to jostle for about 30 per cent of the remaining population.
Most of the Nigerian population still prefer traditional shopping to the advancement and comfort online shopping offer. Head of Corporate Communications at Konga, Gideon Ayogu, stated this has hindered the growth of e-commerce in Africa’s most populous nation.
Challenges of e-commerce in Nigeria
The narrative within the household is different from the experience promised to customers, and this has probably influenced the thoughts and perceptions of customers toward online shopping. The narrative has been about trust, which has gradually built skepticism among the 70 per cent of the population who stay away from e-commerce. Traditional shopping model gives shoppers firsthand expereience of the product and a sense of trust, unlike the e-commerce platform that is engulfed by communication gap and wavering return policy.
Battling the challenges
Ayogu says Konga is changing the narrative around e-commerce in the households with realistic business model, and building more physical presence across Nigeria, with the establishment of at least one store in each of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
“Through a realistic and well-thought out business model, Konga is gradually changing the narrative in the following ways: Growing chain of nationwide physical retail stores: With over 30 brick-and-mortar stores spread nationwide and many more springing up all over Nigeria’s vast landscape, Konga has given millions of unreached Nigerians a reason to smile.
“A bold, ambitious plan to spread its tentacles across the length and breadth of the nation, with the establishment of at least one store in each of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas, will unleash the power of the country’s booming population and see e-Commerce finally achieving its huge potential in Nigeria and beyond,” Ayogu said.
About Konga
Konga.com is Nigeria’s largest online mall launched in July 2012. Konga offers products that span various categories including Phones, Computers, Clothing, Shoes, Home Appliances, Books, healthcare, Baby Products, personal care and much more.
