Dubai: Dubai-based e-retailer Souq.com has launched its online hypermarket — Souq Superstore — in a bid to make deeper inroads into e-commerce.
The platform offers a huge assortment of products and will also be curated stores, including an organic food corner, chocolate shop and “food of the world”, available for delivery to all customers across the UAE, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
“With Souq Superstore offering convenience, greater information, reviews, enhanced customisation and unlimited product selection at their fingertips, we are confident of a significant level of consumer adoption here in the Middle East,” Ronaldo Mouchawar, Co-Founder and CEO of Souq.com, said in a statement on Monday.
According to recent Morgan Stanley Research, up to 34 per cent of online shoppers are expected to buy groceries online this year versus 21 per cent in 2015.
“It’s an exciting time to launch such a category as our digitally savvy consumers in the market are leading the online shopping trend and we are experiencing exponential growth in m-commerce. By leading with innovative solutions we are set to change the way consumers shop and eat today,” Mouchawar said.
Growth
Souq.com has made a recent investment in ‘InstaShop’ app as part of its drive to woo online shoppers and allow users to access their nearby grocery store directly through their mobile app with delivery straight to their door in no time.
Tina Chikhani Nader, Shopper and Customer Marketing Director-Gulf at Unilever, said that e-commerce for FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) products is poised for a period of growth. “Our objective is to make sure that Unilever do not miss out on that growth opportunity. We want to be where the consumer is going, and will keep a keen eye on how this area develops in the near future,” he said.
Omar Farid, President of Middle East and North Africa at PepsiCo, said that PepsiCo is delighted that its consumers will now be able to shop and buy products online. As the demand from its consumers to shop online continues to rise with the adoption of digital technology, “we must adapt to these changing trends”.
