The e-commerce industry has progressed significantly over the years in the middle of the increasing worldwide usage of the internet, but its expansion has never been more exponential than when the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
A crisis that has ushered in a new reality across the globe, the pandemic had forced governments in 2020 to start implementing human mobility restrictions to safeguard public safety and health. The restrictions had prompted people to buy their daily necessities from e-commerce platforms and other digital channels. As the many limitations continue to be lifted and economies are now on the path to normalcy, people’s usage of e-commerce portals is only going to take up a notch—a trend that is expected well beyond the pandemic era.
Rise of e-commerce in the GCC
In the GCC region, the consultancy firm Kearney predicted that e-commerce would grow to become a $50 billion industry by 2025. A separate survey commissioned by Kearney Middle East also showed that 48 percent and 69 percent of consumers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, respectively, would continue their current shopping behaviours after the pandemic. The shopping behaviour was described as “less frequent and more planned, with bigger online grocery purchases.”
Given this, it is a strategic move for businesses to strengthen their digital presence to keep up with the evolving consumer needs and remain relevant in today’s increasing tech-driven world.
Post-Covid, implementing effective e-commerce strategies is critical, especially for retailers in fashion and clothing, beauty and makeup, jewellery and ornaments, grocery and daily kitchen items, electronic appliances, perfume and fragrances, sports and exercise equipment, among others. This will entail taking stock of the fundamentals such as business capabilities, supply chain capacity, customer demand trends, and many more.
Tech support and innovative partnerships for e-commerce sector in the region
Many companies are now leveraging third-party platforms to expand their businesses through end-to-end unified technology solutions. In the region, several companies offer these solutions in sync with the countries’ intensified digitalisation.
CommerceUp, for instance, has been partnering with various organisations in India and Dubai to help them rapidly and efficiently scale online. At CommerceUp, our focus is to provide support for these three pillars of e-commerce: namely, online storefront, post-checkout operations and customers and sales growth. Through our cost-effective cloud-based platform, companies can build their websites, social media accounts and mobile applications without the need to form an in-house technical team.
Like the rest of the world, the GCC region is expected to boost its e-commerce industry as part of its digital transformation journey. Having the right technology partner that is an expert in the field can be a part of a winning strategy in this century for businesses regardless of their size and industries.
Piyush Pathak is the founder and CEO of CommerceUp
