Jumia launches online mall to sell products directly from distributors

Leading e-commerce firm, Jumia Kenya has launched a virtual mall dubbed Jumia Mall. The new mall will now allow authorized distributors to sell their products directly to consumers on Jumia.

The new online mall will serve as the home of official brands with a set of well-curated  selection of international and local brands sold by authorized distributors.

Speaking during the launch, Jumia Kenya CEO Sam Chappatte also revealed that Jumia is looking to increase the level of transparency on the site by giving customers history of vendors on the site.

“We are on a mission to build trust in online shopping. As part of this, we have partnered with over 50 brands to launch their Official Online Stores with Jumia Mall. This allows customers to shop from the official suppliers if they choose to,” said Mr. Chappatte.

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Interestingly, brands who list on Jumia Mall will be able to differentiate their official suppliers from the wider marketplace.  “We are seeking to attract new customers into the online shopping category, for the benefit of both our brands and the wider marketplace vendors,” said Mr. Chappatte. Under Jumia Mall, customers will also enjoy next-day delivery for products stocked under Jumia Express.

The introduction of the new category will also see Jumia hold a week-long Jumia Mall Campaign from 16th – 22nd September. This campaign is aimed at creating awareness on the benefits of the new product by Jumia.

Customers who log onto the jumia.co.ke or download the Jumia app will have the option of buying their goods and services from Jumia Mall, Jumia Global or a large number of quality vetted local resellers. Customers who shop on Jumia Mall will be guaranteed 100 per cent authenticity, official warranties from the brands, and a 15 day return policy.

Jumia Mall will host official brands, Jumia Global will host international vendors, while the market place will include local, vetted sellers.

Already, Jumia Kenya has formed partnerships with leading brands such as Ramtons, Hisense, Huawei, Jameson, HP, Vitron, Sony, Tagwood, Vision Plus, Uka, Nivea, and HMD Nokia.“This Mall is here to truly democratize our brands and give our customers a chance to buy the highest quality and authentic products from official brand stores,” said Nivea Sales Director Vikash Kumar.

The launching of the virtual brands one stop platform comes as the latest innovation from Jumia, which has set itself apart as the leading Pan-African e-commerce firm. The company is also listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Currently, Jumia has over 80,000 sellers, and serves over 750 million consumers in the region through its marketplace platforms in 14 African countries. The company directly employs 5000 people (500 of which are in Kenya), and is expected to contribute significantly towards the 3 million jobs that are expected from online marketplaces by 2025.