Jumia shifts from convenience to utility

Jumia, an e-commerce platform sometimes described as Africa’s Amazon, is no longer just about convenience but has come to be regarded as a utility, according to Juliet Anammah, the chair of Jumia Nigeria. 

Why it matters

Jumia hasn’t altered its basic strategy during COVID-19 – attract buyers and sellers, grow usage, accelerate adoption of its JumiaPay app that provides services ranging from accessing loans to paying electric bills – but it has adapted to the changing needs of consumers and rebalanced its product mix, Anammah said at the Retail Connected conference held by Retail Week, a sister brand of WARC. 

Key details

• Consumers are not just buying phones and electronics online, but are purchasing fashion items, lifestyle products and everyday essentials as well.
• An increasing number of sellers and brands have integrated Jumia into their consumer journey. For example, the platform now offers an augmented reality experience similar to ModiFace, a tool for virtually "trying on" makeup from beauty giant L’Oréal.
  
• Stuck-at-home consumers want more from their online shopping experience than just a transaction – consuming content, animation and gamification will be important factors in the future.

Key quote

“That shift from convenience to essential utility is something that has been very much brought home to us, and to consumers, and even to the regulators in our environment” – Juliet Anammah, chair, Jumia Nigeria