The Egypt-wide demand for e-commerce facilities has witnessed a dramatic surge of 500% in sales in 2020, according to Ahmed Helmy, Director and Chairperson of Stylish Eve Trading Group.
Helmy said that the e-commerce uptick can be attributed to the Egyptian government having started the implementation of precautionary measures against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
“Before the coronavirus pandemic, consumers used to rely on e-commerce websites only when discounts and big offers were available,” he said. “Currently, customer purchases have often included more than one product, regardless of whether there are sales and offers seasons. This has led to a 1,000% increase in website visits, in addition to a 500% increase in purchase orders, which made most companies and businesses owners start hiring more delivery employees.”
Helmy added that the biggest challenge for retail company owners is keeping pace with the current changes and rapidly diverting their course to e-commerce. This is due to this form of sales being more accessible, convenient, and available around the clock.
In recent months during the coronavirus pandemic, e-commerce has become a hub for world trade, and it has been a saviour for retailers who have almost universally had to shut down physical locations.
As an alternative solution, they have diverted their businesses to e-commerce channels, as governments around the world pushed forward the “Stay Home- Stay Safe” slogan. This called on their respective citizens to stay home to protect themselves and their families from the pandemic, Helmy elaborated.
Some global agencies have made huge investments in their e-commerce capabilities, reducing retail stores. One of the most famous international companies to do this has been Zara, which shut down about 1,200 stores worldwide and invested about $1bn to support e-commerce for the coming period.
The international coffee chain, Starbucks, has also followed suit, closing down about 400 branches to put most of its investments towards in-home delivery service.
Unsurprisingly, Amazon has seen its sales during the coronavirus pandemic rocketed up by 40% in comparison to last year, with revenues of about $88.9bn during the second quarter (Q2) of 2020.
Helmy has confirmed that this is a red flag for retail company owners and consumers who are not moving with the times. This is particularly as the consumer’s need can only be met through mobile applications on their smartphones, alongside websites that meet all their needs without even needing to leave the house.
