Ecommerce is one of South Africa’s most dynamic industries, and companies operating in this sector need to be agile to survive and thrive. One of the longest established SA ecommerce businesses, bidorbuy, will be making significant changes to their offering for both buyers and sellers in South Africa during 2023.
In March, the marketplace will be renamed to Bob Shop. This is not merely cosmetic, as it reflects wider changes, with the Bob Shop website and app at the heart of the new Bob Group entity.
Bob Group was formed from the merger of bidorbuy and fulfilment specialists uAfrica, with the aim of offering a holistic, one-stop shop for all ecommerce software and services.
The tagline “Everything ecommerce” neatly sums up what Bob Group will offer. This repositioning of bidorbuy is in response to what Bob Group sees as a gap in the market for an ecommerce player that is friendlier and more welcoming to online merchants of all sizes.
The name of the game is integration – through its various services, Bob Group will offer payment solutions, omnichannel syncing, and seamless shipping. Seamless shipping is a vital part of ecommerce success – too often in South Africa, it is the last mile where issues have occurred, denting consumer confidence in online shopping.
As part of Bob Group, Bob Shop will be able to significantly enhance the shipping experience for both buyers and sellers and lower barriers to entry to ecommerce participation.
R30 shipping is coming
From February 2023, bidorbuy/Bob Shop will be introducing a new R30 shipping option for buyers. Any new sellers who join the platform will automatically offer this service to buyers. Existing sellers will be transitioned to this new system over the coming months. Flat-rate R30 shipping will benefit both parties: sellers will sell more items, and buyers will save on the costs of receiving their items.
In addition to making shipping cheaper, Bob Shop will also make it easier. Sellers will be able to book shipments using selected courier partners and print waybills directly from their Bob Shop account. That means less time spent on admin, and more time growing their online business and keeping their customers happy.
Raising standards
Throughout Bob Group, the aim will be to standardise the user experience – wherever people see the unifier “Bob” in a company name, they know they can expect superb service, world-class ecommerce tools, and exceptional support.
When it comes to shipping, both buyers and sellers can expect improved tracking and communications, with automatic updates on parcel status and expected delivery times. This will be one of the most visible benefits of the merger with uAfrica. Behind the scenes, work will continue to ensure seamless integration across all touchpoints.
From shopping to paying to shipping, Bob Group will help small online businesses to grow by providing everything they need to succeed in ecommerce – including improving their connection to customers at every stage of the online shopping process.