Carrefour Kenya has today said it is launching a new mobile application that will enhance its online shopping experience. The hypermarket, that’s owned and operated by Majid Al Futtaim, has for a long time now had what I consider to be one of the best apps of any other hypermarkets. From the old app, one gets copies of their receipts, and a barcode that’s scanned by Tellers whenever you’re purchasing stuff allowing you to accumulate points on MyClub.
One thing that challenges most companies trying online shopping in Kenya is the delivery process. I once wrote about how supermarkets have the ability to beat most online shops if they try and move from their usual brick and mortar approach. We’ve over the past few years seen a shift on that front with little to no success from the big hypermarkets.
Carrefour says that for delivery, they will start with the Nairobi region, and then will slowly expand to other cities across the country in the near future. Perhaps, they will only expand first to regions close to where they have branches.
Customers will have the flexibility of going online on the app, choosing between 1-hour delivery, same-day delivery, or the next day between 9am and 8pm. And from the press release, it seems the starting fee, or rather the standard delivery fee will be KES. 99 only. Which just puts to shame all other companies’ attempts at delivery where delivery fees are usually very exorbitant.
The company says the new app promises a seamless shopping experience that will allow customers to quickly and conveniently browse and add their essentials to a Digital cart. Currently, the hypermarket has over 8,000 items including groceries, fresh food, and light household products.
Within the app, you will find the feature to build your shopping list, as well as a frequently purchased items tab. Customers will still be able to access receipts of past transactions through the app. Those registered on the Loyalty program, MyClub, will also continue to enjoy earning points for their transactions which can later on be redeemed in form of discounts.
Current customers on the MyClub platform however must transfer their details to the new MAF Carrefour App using their previous registration details and create a new password. All their points and vouchers will automatically be migrated to the new app as the old app will be phased out.
Also, the company has said that, initially payments will only be performed through mobile money platform, M-Pesa. However, the Carrefour team is working on extending the same to Debit/ Credit card payments in the coming months.
Franck Moreau, Country Manager of Carrefour Kenya at Majid Al Futtaim Retail, said “At Carrefour, we’re constantly finding innovative ways to modernise and digitise the shopping experience for our customers. We are confident that the new app will provide Kenyan customers with a convenient and safe option to shop from the comfort of their homes.”
“Since the start of the pandemic, we have seen the significant growth in online shopping. As such, the introduction of our new app also responds to the growing demand in Kenya for a more sophisticated online shopping platform,” he added.
The MAF Carrefour App is available for download on both Google Play and the App Store.
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