/African Media Agency(AMA)/- Is a website really a ‘digital experience’? South African retailers are in a rush to capitalise on the growing volume of South African consumers opting to do their shopping online as digitisation and the disruptive impact of the pandemic shift consumer habits.
According to Amrish Singh, Global Customer Experience Advisor at SAP Africa, South Africans were traditionally used to physical purchases where they can see the quality of a product or the freshness of a loaf of bread – but that has changed dramatically.
“The past few years have seen massive growth in online purchases as consumers become more comfortable to enjoy the convenience of online purchases. Where South African e-commerce has traditionally lagged behind more developed markets, a new wave of digitally-mature companies are driving e-commerce, ably supported by a rich ecosystem of fulfilment partners, forward-thinking retailers and digitally-native consumers. However, this is putting significant pressure on retailers to ensure they offer great online customer experiences at all times.”
Digital adoption driving digital maturity
According to reports, e-commerce purchases in South Africa grew by 66% in 2020 to reach more than R30-billion – double what it was two years prior. “Despite the relaxing of strict lockdown measures that restricted the movement of consumers to brick-and-mortar stores, online shopping continues to grow in popularity as more retailers introduce e-commerce offerings tailor-made for SA’s burgeoning consumer market.”
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