Takealot is one of the largest ecommerce retailers on the African continent. Their vision is simple but ambitious - to be the largest, most customer-centric ecommerce company in Africa. 28East partnered with Takealot to make their dream a reality - read on!
The Challenge
Takealot started from humble beginnings and had one goal in mind: To be the biggest name in the online retail industry on the African continent. Part of their mission statement is to deliver exceptional service. They are dedicated to improving the customer experience from the moment shoppers arrive on their website, until their order is delivered at their doorstep or collected at their local pickup point.
In 2014, Takealot purchased Mr Delivery - an app-based, on-demand food delivery service. This gave the business access to its own logistics network through the Takealot Delivery Team division. Takealot has since also taken ownership of Supurbalist.com, and merged businesses with Naspers-owned Kalahari.com.
Logically, this meant that their overall customer experience would need to far exceed those of their competitors. To keep their customers in mind and at the heart of everything they do, Takealot had to carefully consider a range of technologies that could manage their online visibility, store locators, checkout solutions to minimise shopping cart abandonment, and last-mile delivery solutions.
The Solution
Enter 28East, powered by the Google Maps Platform technologies. 28East have partnered with Takealot since 2017 - offering continuous guidance and support. They have helped Takealot implement their dream system to attract new customers and navigate their purchasing journey.
Google Presence Solution:
More and more shoppers are using the internet to research items before purchasing, making it critical for Takealot to attract their customers at this key point in their buying journey. 28East is able to provide Takealot with the best Google Enterprise support, ensuring that they have the ideal presence on Google Search and Maps through Google Business Profile.
Checkout Solutions:
Google’s Places Autocomplete was implemented as part of an innovative checkout solution that further streamlined Takealot’s customer experience. Takealot’s address completion rate has improved by more than 10% since implementing the type-ahead address prediction solution. This solution automatically populates customer addresses upon checkout, making it that much easier for them to click on the all-important “purchase” button, without unnecessary hassles. Not only does this decrease shopping cart abandonment, but it also saves Takealot money, as less purchases get returned due to incorrect addresses.
Additionally, Takealot no longer needs to be concerned with spikes on high-volume days such as Black Friday. The Google Maps Platform, as part of Google Cloud, ensures reliability and scalability so that Takealot’s platform runs smoothly regardless of the amount of users actively shopping online.
Location Solutions:
Using Google Maps Platform, Takealot can see the fulfillment of their customers’ purchases, whether that be pick ups from Takealot Pickup Points or door-to-door delivery.
A key feature is the estimated time of delivery (ETA) function in their apps, keeping hungry customers in the loop with their food order. Not only does this inform customers when to keep a close eye on the door, it also builds trust between the brand and their growing clientele.
Takealot’s delivery drivers also formed part of this unique solution implementation. The Google Maps Platform technologies advise drivers on the best route to take prior to delivery, and assists them to schedule deliveries effectively, which saves them time, money, and most importantly, fuel. To further assist, instead of coordinating deliveries one-by-one, this technology helps drivers optimse their delivery routes in such a way that they can do multiple deliveries in the same trip.
The Results
“Takealot is a very popular name in the online retail industry. We have yet to come across a South African who has never heard of them before. Chances are, if you are reading this success story today, you have purchased something from them, or are planning on doing so in the near future. Their success is quite evident, and we couldn’t be happier to share in that success along with the Google Maps technologies. We pride ourselves in the role that we have played in Takealot’s journey of becoming South Africa’s number one online retailer.” - Marius van der Merwe, 28East’s Managing Director.
Since Takelot opted for the Google Maps technologies, they are greatly benefiting from the volume discounts that 28East - as Google partners - can offer them. It is evident that Takealot has been on the forefront of implementing these technologies, while other online retailers are struggling to compete.
Do you want to drive more sales and grow your online retail store? Contact us today to learn more about the services they offer.