Konga is taking the wraps off on a new delivery option for its third-party merchants who sell on the Konga Marketplace. Konga is calling the new model, the self-fulfill model.
“In line with the unique logistics framework in Nigeria, we are being as adaptable as possible to our environment,” Konga said in an internal memo made available to TechCabal. TechCabal was first tipped off to the development by a tweet from Konga’s CEO, Sim Shagaya.
@shopkonga just underwent a major evolution: more openness with data, everyone nationwide can now sell and ship themselves, more freedom!
— Sim Shagaya (@SimShagaya) April 20, 2015
Konga said the self-fulfillment model start date “is just around the corner” along with a revamped Konga.com website.
Konga is reworking the obligations and value-add of/to buyers, sellers and Konga with the new model. In the memo, Konga says sellers will have multiple shipping options to choose from aside KExpress, Konga’s proprietary delivery infrastructure.
“In addition to being able to ship through KExpress, sellers can also choose to ship via our other courier partners, or to self-fulfill,” Konga says of the value add to sellers on its platform. “We have negotiated highly discounted shipping rates with these top courier companies for Konga shipments. Shipment prices will now be flexible and dependent on the weight and distance of the shipment. Sellers will be able to choose the specific areas they would offer self-delivery to and how long it would take for the customers to receive their orders. Sellers will specify if and where they would offer POD.”
For buyers, Konga says, “on multiple orders, each item may have its own shipping cost. This would be dependent on a variety of criteria, key of which would be the items size. Larger, heavier items would be have higher shipping costs and vice versa. Several items from one seller may only have one attendant shipping cost,” Konga says.
Konga itself is setting up to be a better arbiter of the marketplace. “We have set strict standards and processes to ensure that our sellers maintain the high standards our buyers are accustomed to. We have developed a ratings system that would clearly reflect each sellers past performance. These ratings would guide buyers in deciding which sellers to purchase from. We would mediate between customers and sellers; and penalize any party that defaults. This will enable us build an even stronger community of trust and security.”
The model will pilot in Lagos, then will be scaled to the rest of Nigeria some weeks later.
On the new website, Konga is tuning up at least seven features according to the memo. Among other things, Konga says it has added more filters to help buyers zone in quickly on their purchase interest and also an easy order tracking module that allows buyers see exactly where their order is at any time. An interesting reveal from Konga is also the introduction of “even more convenient and secure payment channels.”
Image via: Konga.com
