Discounts portal links online sales to traditional shopping

Ms Dee Shah says her combination is informed by Kenyans who want to see and feel an item before buying. Photo/Courtesy

By Herbling David,

Dee Shah has turned a shopping frustration three years ago into an online marketplace that lists goods and services complete with discounts.

Ms Shah had returned to Nairobi for a short visit and needed a plumber, a painter and a messenger. She could not find a comprehensive listing for the services.

Last month, she turned her earlier tribulations into a business by developing a portal —www.offersafrica.com — which helps consumers to find essential goods and services at special offers.

Offers Africa thrives on coupons where service providers offer customers discounts which they can claim when buying the item or service.

“It is about offering convenience shopping; a site where people search for what they are looking for and get great offers through promotional codes,” said Ms Shah.

“The online coupon code is an interesting concept that gives customers special deals and helps businesses to grow sales and have a greater exposure.”

The shop has so far signed up about 100 businesses listed across fashion, automobiles, events, home and garden, travel, hotels and leisure as well as technology, books and stationery.

Customers search the portal for goods or services and each listing has a unique coupon which qualifies the buyer for discounts and offers.

The buyer is required to copy down the promotion code or sign up to create an account at Offers Africa where one can e-mail or text the code to for reference.

Shoppers present this coupon code to the merchant when buying to qualify for discounts. “This is a bridge between online and traditional shopping.

You search for the items or service online, get a coupon and present it at the shop when making the purchase,” says the techpreneur.

Ms Shah reckons that most buyers in Kenya prefer searching for offers online but shopping at premises rather than through Internet because they want to see, feel and touch what they are buying. It costs Sh2,000 per month for businesses to sign up and list their products at Offers Africa.

Ms Shah says the site also offers advertising at rates that compare favourably with the traditional marketing channels such as newspaper, radio and television.

The offers listed on www.offersafrica.com are also linked to Facebook and Twitter.

Having studied, lived and worked in the UK, Ms Shah did a market study and found out that most people find it hard to get goods and services they want to buy.