We live in an age of convenience, thanks to technology. Online shopping in Kenya is rapidly growing, and it’s one activity that offers us much convenience. Not forgetting it provides an easier and better experience that traditional shopping. The Covid-19 pandemic has also been a growth contributor to online shopping as more people prefer to stay at home, avoid crowded places, and order online.
Online shopping trends in Kenya are on a rise so much that for every 5 consumers in Kenya 4 are shopping online, making 79% of consumers. This is according to a Master card study which revealed that more Kenyans are shopping online especially after the Covid-19 pandemic.
As a result, many retailers have created online stores for their businesses. But, some of the most popular online shops in Kenya include Jumia, Pigiame, Jiji, Kilimall, etc.
Even with a big number of online stores, some people are still intimidated by the thought of making a purchase online. To some extent they are right, because we do have scammers out on a prowl.
Should you avoid online shopping all the same? No. All you need is to be armed with some knowledge about how to shop online and you can then successfully order anything from the comfort of your house or office.
Benefits of shopping online in Kenya
Here are some reasons why you should consider shopping online if you haven’t yet.
- Shop at your convenience any time of day or night from anywhere.
- It saves on time and goods can delivered to your location.
- Compare prices between different sites in a few minutes, something that is not possible if you were to go from shop to shop.
- Have access to many products or services without walking physically to different shops or malls.
- No more crowded malls, long queues, parking stress, or walking around window shopping.
- Buy a gift and have the company deliver it to the intended recipient, you can do that even with a lock-down.
- Discounts and notifications. You are notified when your preferred online store has upcoming discounts, new products or offers.
- Access to customer reviews helping u make informed choice.
Online Shopping Concerns
Although online shopping has its benefits and offers convince, there are concerns that make people to keep off. Such concerns include:
- Identity theft
- High shipping costs
- Data breaches
- Lost packages
- Getting scammed
- Privacy and security concerns
And many more
Tips for Buying Online in Kenya
The concerns mentioned above are valid. People are right to fear been ripped off their hard earned cash. Luckily, over the years’ online transactions have become more secure and trustworthy. This is to say that most of the concerns mentioned above can be avoided.
It’s possible to achieve a good experience shopping online. Here are some tips that make shopping online in Kenya safe:
- Choose trustworthy online stores. Make sure to check reviews from other people and see the kind of experience they had with their online shopping. You can check the reviews from the company site or on social media. But, don’t rush to trust everything some negative comments are malicious.
- Internet browsing practices – check for HTTPS (not HTTP only) on the URL and a padlock on the site you want to shop from. If you have subscribed to an online seller’s website, ensure that any email you receive is legitimate.
- Avoid impulsive purchases. Know what you want or are looking. Start shopping with a product in mind and possible budget, otherwise you can end up wasting too much time online.
- Look at the description of an item. Open the item description if it’s available and read through and avoid being carried away by price (you may end up purchasing a miniature of an item).
- Before hitting the pay button confirm what is in your shopping cart. Ensure it’s the right item and right quantity.
- Check info on returns. Can you return the item if it’s not the right one? Review returns and delivery policies on the seller’s website.
- If you using a card for online purchases, ensure to regularly check your bank statement for any fraudulent activity.
- Keep the devices you use to shop online secure. Install antivirus programs that will check for malware.
- Use strong passwords when you create an account with an online store. Ensure to change the password regularly.
- Avoid using public Wi-Fi for online shopping as they may not be secure.
How it Works
Now that you are equipped with some knowledge on how to safely shop online, benefits of shopping online and example of where you can shop online in Kenya.
The next question you’d have is how to go about it.
I’m certain that if you spend some time online, you have come across advertisements from different online sellers. You can click or open this adverts to go to the online store. You will also realize that if you access a site that offers products and services, you will see their ads on your social media platforms. Sort of like a salesman following you around. This is called customer re-targeting.
Once you find a product you add it to a cart or online basket. When you finish shopping you then need to check out. At this point, the website will require you to create an account (most companies prefer this so they can have a database of their customers, which they can use to notify customers of new products or offers).
When creating an account, you will input your preferred payment method. You may choose to pay with a bank card, or you can buy online without a card as some online stores accept other means of payment such as Mpesa, Pesapal, or Paypal.
After making your payment, then all you have to do is wait for your item to be delivered to the location you gave when filling your purchase details.
Wrap up
Online shopping is a growing trend in Kenya and if you are well equipped with how to shop online, you can enjoy safe and secure online shopping.
Give it a try.