LAHORE - With over half of the population using Internet on their mobile phones in Pakistan, the launch of 3G/4G services will not only revolutionize the whole Information Technology sector but also lift the size of Pakistan’s e-commerce industry.
This was stated by Christian Schroeder, the Co-Managing Director Kaymu Asia Region while talking to The Nation. He said that with many young entrepreneurs in Pakistan starting their businesses online, 3G will bring tremendous benefits for the Pakistani economy, attracting many prominent investors and venture capitalists.
Those marketers who previously complained that e-commerce is still a nascent sector in Pakistan due to limited market potential would be able to search about anything anywhere and buy right from their mobile even before they get home, Mr. Christian Schroeder stated.
He said that Kaymu.pk launched in Pakistan in January 2013 and is known as one of the best online platforms with 600 retailers offering their products to online shoppers.
According to Mr. Schroeder, the portal is maturing some 1,000 transactions daily with an average turnover of Rs1.2 million per day. Around 40% of the total transactions are of the apparel and jewelry segments, he added.
According to experts, the exercise for online shopping via different portals for convenient shopping is increasing with each passing day. E-commerce is now spreading and is creating its share in the overall retail segment, with small, medium and large-scale retailers becoming eager to sell their products via such portals, they said.
“Kaymu, with head office in Lahore, is operational all over the country, as it signs up suppliers and does deliveries all over Pakistan, even in Waziristan,” said Ahmed Khan, also the Co-Managing Director of Kaymu Asia Region.
Replying to a question, he observed that despite low literacy rate and growing poverty, the e-commerce or the ‘business/shopping through internet’ is growing with a very fast speed in the country.
“We engage third party delivery services to reach every corner of the country, and we have had orders from Quetta and even Waziristan, and we have delivered in these regions. So, wherever TCS, Leopard and Pakistan Post deliver, we deliver.” According to Ahmed Khan, Pakistan’s economy has taken quite a hit in the past few years with security threats, extremism and power shortages but there is one industry that has been flourishing and that is Ecommerce.
Currently, there are several online shopping sites in Pakistan which are making huge revenues out of their social media and digital marketing campaigns. There is still a lot of room for other retailers and e-commerce portals to grow and compete in this market. Also online shopping and real estate sector have become more acceptable and culturally relevant in Pakistan.
To a question, he said that Kaymu has around 25,000 to 30,000 products ranging from cosmetics, clothes, electronics, sports goods, accessories and much more. Working with a no-inventory model, Kaymu.pk aims at providing smooth and easy transactions for both the buyer and seller, and ensuring that all transactions taking place are safe and easy.