Tuskys and Jumia ink deal to give customers online shopping option

Corporate News

Shoppers at a Tuskys store in Nairobi. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA 

By ANNIE NJANJA

In Summary

• The retailer has already enlisted some of its products, which include furniture, electronic appliances and baby care products amongst other, on Jumia.
• Online shopping is increasingly becoming popular in Kenya, for the convenience it brings and the wide selection of products it accords buyers.
• Mobile phones are the most popular items purchased online, taking up 58 per cent of all orders. Fashion products came a distant second at 18 per cent of the online purchases.

Retail chain Tuskys has inked a deal with online shopping mall Jumia that will see shoppers get a wider selection of products from its 55 stores located countrywide.

Tuskys is looking to increase its sales and reach to a wider clientele by leveraging on Jumia’s network and knowledge of e-commerce trade in Kenya.

Following the deal, the retailer has already enlisted some of its products, which include furniture, electronic appliances and baby care products amongst other, on Jumia.

Online shopping is increasingly becoming popular in Kenya, for the convenience it brings and the wide selection of products it accords buyers. Purchasing goods online makes it possible for buyers to compare various product description and their pricing.

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“The retail landscape under the brick store model has already blossomed. The next frontier to watch out for is e-retail. We are already poised to tap into this new market and be a key player in making the entire region an e-retail powerhouse,” said Tuskys Manager in charge of Supply Chain Daniel Muya.

“We will rely on each other’s market strengths and platforms to deliver on this partnership and promote high level shopper convenience and develop the modern e-retail space through innovation and diverse product range.”

According to an online shopping survey published last month by research firm e_Ensures, Jumia and Chinese-backed Kilimall are the most sought online shopping sites with a market share of 38 per cent and 22 per cent respectively.

The survey shows that mobile phones are the most popular items purchased online, taking up 58 per cent of all orders. Fashion products came a distant second at 18 per cent of the online purchases.

READ: What Kenyans order online while keeping purse strings tight to pay for goods in cash

“Jumia already has a huge online trust. Tuskys on the other hand has the goodwill of millions of customers who frequent our stores countrywide every day. This deal marks the future of e-retail in the region,” he said.