Sugam Dhall is a director at Namshi.com, a leading e-commerce platform in the MENA region. Tanmay Dhall is an industry manager for retail and e-commerce at Google MENA.
The MENA e-commerce market was sized at approximately $21 billion in 2020 – growing 36 percent year-on-year.1 E-tailers — retailers that primarily sell online — are taking long strides towards advancing e-commerce. This is particularly true for omni-retailers and consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands who have begun to invest more in digital transformation.
Retailers are not the only ones accelerating their move to online, consumers are too. And there are eight key ways in which MENA consumers are adapting their shopping behaviour in this area. Strategically, retailers have adapted to these new behaviours by ramping up e-commerce offerings to meet demand and a shift in revenue from online sources. Now, we shed light on the complete e-commerce value chain.
As shoppers, we typically expect e-commerce to be a few digital clicks and a delivery will appear at our doors in a matter of days, or even hours. But there are multiple important players in this process. We’ve captured a snapshot of the seven behind-the-scenes building blocks of any successful e-commerce operation — and what marketers can learn from each. For more details on each of the building blocks, make sure to download the complete guide.
1. Supply
Understanding product profitability can help marketers create more effective promotional strategies to increase sell-through rates, drive higher conversions, and reduce aged stock.
2. Warehousing and inbound logistics
Insight into warehousing processes can inspire smoother customer service experiences, including managing expectations of delivery times and promoting safety during COVID-19.
3. Digital merchandising
Digital merchandising typically encompasses all promotional activity to sell products online. This includes a marketer’s efforts to monitor impressions, click-through-rates, and conversions to optimise the user journey on the website homepage.
4. Marketing
A holistic marketing strategy takes into account user insights to achieve key business objectives, including raising brand awareness and driving sales.
5. Sales
Successfully tracking sales and audience conversion rates will help marketers inform future strategies to drive higher return-on-investment.
6. Fulfillment
An understanding of how order fulfillment works will allow marketers to promote unique selling points, such as quality guarantees, quick delivery, and easy returns.
7. Customer service
Identifying loyal customers, or those who’ve had negative experiences, can help build retention and loyalty, while ensuring a positive brand experience.
Get the complete guide
Download the marketer’s guide to the e-commerce value chain with actionable takeaways to help you plan for 2021.