Online shopping is really a great and convenient way of shopping, this being the main reason why we do shop online. A customer will choose whatever platform s/he might want to shop from. Looking here in Uganda, we’ve a number of these online shopping centers including; Jumia Market, Kaymu, Kilimall, and so forth.
I will personally look at Kilimall Uganda where I do my shopping from. Launched in May, it’s becoming Uganda’s fastest growing online shopping mall with Ugandan shoppers increasingly embracing the benefits of shopping online in tandem and rapid growth of technology.
With its visits growing to over 600 orders per day and counting, Kilimall’s range of products include smartphones, electronics, fashion and home and lifestyle brands.
However, today we’re looking at why many Ugandans are finding it difficult to shop from the these online shops and prefer to have their shopping physically done, not because they don’t want to but because of the on going myths they keep on hearing of.
Below we listed are a few of those circulating myths, that have stopped/ is stopping many Ugandans to shop online;
Myth #1: I don’t have a PC so I can’t shop online
Many of us Ugandans have the mentality of saying, they can’t shop online just because they don’t have/own a PC with them. However, if you are to shop online, you don’t necessarily need to have a PC with you. Your smartphone can also do this work for you. For instance for Kilimall, you can either use their website or download their mobile app, any of the two can work for you, since today – fast mobile Internet connections make online shopping from a mobile device easy.
Myth #2: I can’t shop online because I don’t have a credit card
You don’t need to have a credit card to shop with Kilimall. At Kilimall, you can pay by mobile money or what seems/looks like the more appropriate way to most Ugandans, is paying on delivery. On my personal opinion, I might find paying on delivery more appropriate.
Myth #3: Online shopping is complicated & hectic
This is one of the myth that is get many Ugandans not shop online. They find it so complicated and hectic. But these online shopping sites have a search bar that simply helps you filter the products you want and those that you don’t want. Kilimall platform has the prompt of this option ‘search bar’, use it and you will find what you need.
On getting what you want to buy, all you have to do is select buy product and follow the simple steps that will be provided to you. Period, no hustles.
Myth #4: Online shopping is not secure
Many Ugandans (not only Ugandans, but also other people around the world) believe that shopping online isn’t secure because of the existing internet scams and frauds. One clones your credit card details and ends up using your identity to shop whatever they desire. This is why at Kilimall, you can pay with mobile money or simply pay on delivery.
Myth #5: Quality and sizing is impossible to determine online
What if I order for a shoe that won’t fit me or probably the quality I saw of that trouser on the website isn’t the one you’re looking at now, probably because when you’re shop online you don’t have the opportunity/chance to touch and feel the product before you buy it. This leaves us Ugandans feeling unsure about whether the product we receive will look the way it does in the images plus also worrying about selecting the incorrect size of that shoe or dress or trouser you loved.
Therefore, once you receive your product on delivery, before paying (this is if you selected payments on delivery), you ought to try out your product and at your satisfactory, you can make the payment.