Technology

Sugar, unga top orders on Jumia

jumia-pic

Jumia CEO Sam Chappatte during the launch of Jumia Kenya Food Index 2020 ahead of World Food Day marked on 16th October. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA | NMG

Household items such as sugar, maize flour and cooking oil, as well as make-up products, are the most ordered products in the online market place, Jumia as Kenyans’ online shopping shifts to the daily used items.

Jumia Africa e-Commerce Index 2021 showed that fast-moving consumer goods and beauty products accounted for 57 percent of goods sold on the platform last year by value, an increase from 44 percent in 2019.

Sugar, especially the two kilogramme, is the most purchased item by Kenyans.

Electronics and phone orders dropped to 43 percent compared to 56 percent in the previous year.

The shift was prompted by the pandemic pushing up consumer orders of the items used on regular basis due to restrictive measures and curfew.

‘’There is a huge growth with consumers buying every day from e-commerce and Jumia. The pandemic has shifted consumer behaviour and people want to buy everyday essentials whether it's sugar or unga (maize flour) delivered to their homes for convenience. If you want to buy one item it is not worth going to the supermarket or taking a bus for it and can buy online,’’ Jumia Kenya CEO Sam Chappatte (above) said.

“Online grocery shopping has lagged other categories historically in Kenya.”

Following the pandemic, more people relied on the internet for health-related information, education materials and entertainment despite a slowed growth in online purchases.

The rate of adoption of online marketplaces in Kenya still remains low attributed to high delivery costs, high fragmented markets and lack of clear named streets and buildings leading to supply chain barriers.

E-commerce penetration is around one per cent in Africa, behind 12 per cent in the USA and 20 per cent in China.

Jumia is optimistic about a rise in the adoption of online shopping tied to growth of the digital economy and the number of people to be using the internet in the next two years.

Jumia now accounts for over 11,000 sellers countywide and over 1,000 pick-up stations. About 35 per cent of the sellers are women entrepreneurs.

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