European internet giants, Rocket Internet, has arrived in South Africa and are intent on launching a few of their most successful brands in our local market. Zando, is one of their first products – a fashion ecommerce play – that allows customers to order a variety of fashion items such as shoes, apparel and accessories online. Zando was initially inspired by Zappos.com which was acquired by Amazon.com in 2009.
Eugen Petersen of Zando explains, “œWhat do many retail stores have in common – a limited fashion selection, long queues and often they don‘t have the correct size. With Zando our aim is to provide South Africans with the same hassle-free shopping experience that millions of shoppers around the world already enjoy. We seek to be more than a traditional online fashion store but rather a place where customers’ needs are both understood and satisfied.“
The process works similar to that of other online fashion sites extremely popular in the European market. Once you have selected the item you want, you pay for it and place the order. Shipping is free to any location countrywide. When the courier arrives with your goods you can try on everything you ordered in the different sizes you may have selected and send back what you don’t want. Once they have received the items, you are reimbursed for your purchases.
Niche online fashion stores have been very successful in savvy high LSM european markets. The question then, is will it work in our small emerging market where South Africans are exposed to a few big players who primarily sell electronics such as Kalahari and Takealot and where merchandise has to function rather than fit. With online department stores offering limited merchandise and lack of exposure for those available, there is room in the market for additional players giving South Africans what the rest of the world has available (H&M, Marks & Spencers, Forever21, asos.com).
Will Rocket Internet emulate their success in Europe here in SA? Either way, they mean business!
