Back in 2012 when it first launched, Jumia’s long-term goal was to become the leading e-commerce player on the continent. It set about that objective like typical e-commerce platforms do: acquiring vast inventory, building warehouses, and aiming to drive online sales based on the promise of ease and convenience. Indeed, one of the company’s first steps was to hire account managers in charge of growing its inventory base across a diverse range of categories, from mobile phones and electronics to fashion, beauty and childcare. If customers wanted to buy it, Jumia—often referred to as the Amazon of Africa—wanted to be able to sell it. It was similar to the way Amazon itself started first with books and CDs and then eventually an Amazon of nearly everything.
SOURCE: QUARTZ AFRICA
More Stories
Tinubu Hits the Ground Running
Russian Minister Makes a Quick Stop in Nairobi
Four Men Absolved of Drug Trafficking in Liberia Disappear
Governments in Sub-Saharan Africa Struggle to Regulate the Mass Expansion of Online Gambling
Why Returns from European Countries are Hugely Unpopular in Most African Countries
A $3 billion IMF Bailout Will Not Instantly Solve Ghana’s Economic Problems
Can Kenya Successfully Establish Efficient and Affordable Smartphone Manufacturing?
How to Be a Female Politician in Africa
Egyptian Firm Unveils IoT-enabled Smartwatch
Women at the Forefront of Africa’s Peace Efforts
With ‘Banel & Adama,’ Ramata-Toulaye Sy Takes Her Place Among Cannes’ Top Names
The Lion Sleeps Tonight: One Song’s Journey from 1930s South Africa to Disney Money-Spinner