As a farm owner Jarrar Shah had understood that the biggest challenge that farmers faced was the journey from farm to the grocery store (baqala or kiryana). The processes simply weren’t efficient as they should have been.
Often manual or basic digital processes were deployed by these businesses. This meant the businesses simply couldn’t be as competitive as they would’ve liked to be.
“That’s where 24SEVEN was born, to empower small grocery operations through digitisation, connecting suppliers to stores and truly bringing the community into commerce,” said Shah in an interaction with edge/.
Expanding to the UAE
Started in Pakistan in 2016, the first product of 24SEVEN was a digitised solution aimed at providing convenience to the small grocery stores commonly known as kiryanas in Pakistan. Shah believed in the potential of the product to expand globally and he soon launched it in the UAE Market in 2023.
“Several small retail stores in the UAE rely heavily on traditional methods and aren’t fully digitised yet,” explained Shah.
He added expanding into the UAE presents an opportunity to further evolve and grow the product. With the UAE baqalas operating in a largely traditional manner, there is significant potential to introduce advanced technological solutions to enhance their operations.
“The evolution of the product in the UAE has involved not only providing convenience to store owners but also digitising the entire small store ecosystem,” said Shah. Explaining the working of the product, he said one of the key advancements in the evolution of the product has been the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) with the point-of-sale (POS) systems.
Bringing AI to the POS
This integration enables small retail store owners to leverage AI-driven analytics for better decision-making, such as predicting customer preferences, optimising inventory levels, and identifying trends in purchasing behaviour.
By harnessing the power of AI, small stores in the UAE can enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve the overall shopping experience for customers.
“It is part of our vision to transform the traditional point-of-sale to a ‘point-of-everything’. Overall, the journey of this product from its inception in Pakistan to its expansion into the UAE has been marked by a continuous effort to innovate and adapt to the ever-evolving technological landscape,” said Shah.
Understanding all of these different nuances, the team has now built 24SEVEN Optima, a cloud-based retail management solution that leverages AI and natural language processing (NLP) technology.
Fixing the broken systems
The digital transformation market in the retail landscape is reported by Mordor Insights to grow from $243.57 billion in 2024 to $541.44 billion by 2029, globally. This projects a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.32 percent during this forecasted period.
According to research conducted by Shah, the UAE has a $37 billion food and grocery retail market, and several thousand of these are small grocery stores. The biggest problem that 24SEVEN aims to address is the fragmentation these businesses face.
He added they not only have broken digitisation but also negligible credit score. This makes it more difficult for the stores to compete and offered diversified products or even access to intelligent embedded finance products.
“Most of these small store owners are South Asians, like me, where we have built successful models that supports over a million customers’ everyday. The idea is to bring that knowledge and expertise and apply it to the local on-ground scenarios and make a larger difference to the business operations of baqalas and small grocery stores in the UAE and wider GCC region,” said Shah.
However, the startup has competition. Not only large giants like SAP and Oracle are looking at the retail management space, there are other companies like BrightPearl, Hulexo, Klaviyo, and GoSpotCheck. However, 24SEVEN’s core focus are the baqalas.
“It’s not just another retail management system, it’s a super app comprising all the functions that are required for successful retail management,” said Shah.
Adding NLP layers
Apart from facilitating in traditional retail functions, 24SEVEN Optima also introduces advanced capabilities for localised voice search, microfinancing, and data-driven decision-making. The cloud-based infrastructure ensures scalability, flexibility, and accessibility from anywhere, empowering retailers to adapt to the evolving digital landscape.
Shah explains localised voice search functionality provides an intuitive and hands-free experience for users, streamlining the search and purchase process.
“Retailers using 24SEVEN Optima have reported substantial improvements in operational efficiency, evidenced by faster transaction processing times and a reduction in manual errors. The integration of microfinancing services has facilitated smoother financial transactions and provided retailers with the tools to manage their finances more effectively,” said Shah.
The startup now aims to revolutionise the traditional retail sector by providing a comprehensive solution that streamlines inventory management, facilitates online ordering and delivery. And also enhance the overall shopping experience for the owners and later the end consumer.
“Across the MENAP region we have seen significant growth in omnichannel retail. Stores are embracing the integration of their physical stores with online platforms. Whether it’s in-store purchasing, click-and-collect or an end-to-end ecommerce journey, the goal is to provide customers with seamless shopping experiences. In addition, there’s a growing trend towards supporting local and artisanal brands,” said Shah.
The pandemic was a catalyst and amplifier of certain trends such as online ordering and delivery, contactless digital payments and the adoption of mobile wallets. The team is looking to introduce a premium subscription option that provide retail partners with enhanced features like digital financial services, a consumer app etc.
As the team looks to expand across the GCC region, they have also identified Shariah compliant credit financing to be an important step.
“In addition, we are partnering with a global expert in data analytics, so that we can build a model that can be applied to other emerging markets such as Africa, Latin America, South East Asia, and China,” said Shah.
