WesternMall Rings New Deals On Auctions, eCommerce- Idehen

WesternMall, has disclosed plans to bridge the gap existing in person to person (P2P) e-commerce and also business to business (B2B) trading between Nigeria and the rest of the world, starting with the UK and USA.

The Company which recently launched a customer-centric campaign tagged ‘Buy-Now-Pay-Later’, said that it relies on its auction sells and customer-centric gestures to offer Nigerians different perceptions about electronic commerce (e-Commerce).

Nosa Idehen, founder/director, WesternMall.co.uk, told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek in Lagos, that they are leading a paradigm shift in the sector which will position the country on its rightful place in the global e-commerce industry.

Idehen lamented that most players in the market are taking customer satisfaction for granted, especially, leaving them without adequate safety nets.

He told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, “Not at all! Many people are going on different platforms. Others are coming in with classified spaces which are not really e-commerce. Back then, people put up newspaper ads in small spaces to sell their products or inform the public about their services, but we are going the extra mile. It is more challenging to take control of what is happening between people and want to ensure satisfaction. At the moment, no one in that space does what we are engaged on.

“People just want to sit in one corner and make money, but we want to first get things done. Consumer satisfaction is at the heart of WesternMall Auction. Our first intent, actually, is to make people have the same e-commerce feel other witness abroad. If we were going for quick money, we would have land crashed, but customer satisfaction leads to e-commerce site’s longevity. E-commerce safety spurs consumer’s confidence and loyalty. We want to give Nigerians people of mind on e-commerce. We want to extend to the original foundation of the business of selling online, which having someone in London being able to sell to someone in Ajagunle in Lagos without qualms and vice versa. That is our goal!

“Our space goes beyond Nigeria; though the dollar-naira impasse has made us soft pedal, but we want to put Nigeria on its rightful position on global e-commerce map. There are a lot of people here who can create ‘crazy’ things. When the brand presence and traffic grows then people outside can boldly say the site is trustworthy. So, no need of someone emailing, texting or calling you, because they know we don’t allow that happen. So, when we become a house-hold name, which we are working very aggressively towards it, then, people here can draw the attention of ‘foreigners’.”

The WesternMall founder added that e-commerce is one of the fastest ways to grow the nation’s foreign exchange “and reduce our over reliance on oil. We can grow our foreign exchange from crafts, arts and design; from ‘Ankala’ designs and other things around them”.

Speaking specifically on the Company’s strategies, Idehen said, “When you are register with us; as soon as someone buys it reports in your account. When that happens, we will get back to you when it is verified while the payment team reimburses you. At this time, we do not charge any fees. There are two ways of selling on WesternMall. You may put a direct/fixed price or by auction. Whatever amount we get we give to you, nothing is deducted”.

He disclosed that tracking system was installed the site to aid, particularly buyers to monitor movement of their shipments.

“We have a tracking system on our site,” he said, “that shows you when the item is leaving the contact centre and when you should expect it. We even go the extra mile of contacting the person to know when you are available so we do not miss you. We have looked at others who claim to be running e-commerce sites. They are not really e-commerce. They just want to make money and a lot of them are regretting not doing the right thing from the beginning”.

This, he said, is a paradigm shift from quick-revenue generation e-commerce system that often time poses non-chalant to customers plights.

On the newly launched “Buy-Now-Pay-Later” scheme, he said, will leverage on conventional corporative societies in public and private corporations to ensure people are better served while shopping on WesternMall space.

He said, “Before now, we focused on serving people who want to buy or send goods from UK to Nigeria, but due to the dollar-naira impasse and the need to serve the e-commerce community better, we have set up in different locations like the Ikeja City Mall.

“There are two options for seller: either to auction your old products/items or list them for sales on the site. Now, we want to give Nigerians a different view about e-commerce. Why is it that after patronizing a seller in a conventional market, overtime, he develops trust and sell on credit, but on e-commerce people are forced to pay once and immediately. We are changing all that with ‘Buy-Now-Pay-Later’ campaign.