bidorbuy, uAfrica merger vows ‘e-commerce revolution’

bidorbuy, a South African online auction and marketplace pioneer, joined forces with logistics powerhouse uAfrica to revolutionise the country’s e-commerce space. Now known as Bob Group, the amalgamated company vows to offer “everything ecommerce” to consumers and companies alike, whether they are looking to sell, buy, or both.

Building on bidorbuy’s success as a household-name online shopping and auction marketplace, the merger means that merchants will now be offered a complete set of e-commerce services, including payments, logistics and marketplace.

Where others in South Africa’s ecommerce environment have embraced a centralised logistics model, Bob Group has taken a decentralised approach, allowing it to price services much more competitively.

uAfrica co-founder Andy Higgins is no stranger to bidorbuy, having launched the company in 1999.

Through the development and growth of uAfrica, a logistics ecommerce tool that removes the messiness from running a profitable online store by streamlining order fulfillment and shipping processes – from getting quotes from courier companies to automated shipping labels and tracking notifications for customers – he has been able to see first-hand how online businesses, especially SMEs, can thrive.

“Our vision at Bob Group is to connect, empower and support people as they transform their lives through ecommerce,” Higgins explains.

“We are more seller-friendly than our competitors, while at the same time we aren’t compromising on the excellent service buyers have come to expect from bidorbuy.

“Sellers can expect a more cost-effective offering based on intuitive, easy-to-use selling and fulfillment tools. Where previously we’ve focused exclusively on the marketplace, this amalgamation will allow us to provide merchant-empowering tools across all the sales channels they are active on, including their own websites and third-party channels.”

According to Higgins, the Bob Group offers a number of exciting services:

• a tool that allows merchants to sync products from their online store to bidorbuy easily, and a real-time solution for updates to products and inventory;
• shipping and tracking solutions;
• a payment facilitator that provides merchants with the opportunity to have buyers pay with their preferred payment option; and
• a software-as-a-service solution providing technology for courier companies to run their entire business. It includes a driver app, customer and administration portals as well as all billing solutions.

Furthermore, by offering standardised payment and shipping options for all transactions, Bob Group can provide buyers with a far more consistent experience. It also continues bidorbuy’s ethos of being a facilitator, not a seller.

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