10 innovations in…
Issue 13, August 2014
e-Commerce in the Middle East
MENA is among the fastest growing e-Commerce regions
worldwide, with an estimated 45% year on year growth.
The largest e-Commerce markets in MENA are:
KSA $520m
Qatar $375m
Kuwait $280m
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As this market grows here are 10 innovations from the
region – and around the world – which caught our eye.
1. Shopping through social media
When you ‘like’ an image on Vogue’s Instagram page you can
buy the items in the image, or products with a similar “look”.
Click on
the
pictures
to learn
more
Tech Crunch: http://tcrn.ch/QQr8Re and Daily Mail: http://dailym.ai/1kbHlNY
2. #tag to buy
Companies like Amazon use “Hashtag Shopping”
Customers can type “#AmazonCart” whilst using
Twitter and then confirm their order via email.
Marketing Magazine: http://bit.ly/1g4Xy13
3. Pinterest-like apps
‘Keep’ and ‘Fancy’ are apps which combine social media
elements (sharing, ‘liking’, ‘commenting’) with shopping.
Tech Crunch: http://bit.ly/1pOCbab Mashable: http://on.mash.to/1myEIoq Images: http://bit.ly/1kBRHGa and http://bit.ly/1kJwl4R
4. Buy sheep on Instagram
You probably
already knew you
can order clothes,
shoes and even
food on Instagram…
…But did you know
you can also order
sheep?
Storify: http://bit.ly/Vw75dh
5. Linking artisans to Etsy + eBay
Anou is a mobile website allowing Moroccan artisans with low
tech-skills to sell items directly to online buyers around the globe.
Anou: http://bit.ly/1pr4wF6 Wamda: http://bit.ly/1yMhfn8
6. The “Arab PayPals”
CashU has +500K users.
PayFort yielded $800M in
transactions during 1 year.
Arabian business: http://bit.ly/1o3rVvi Images: http://bit.ly/1oUXVDR and https://www.cashu.com/
They aim to reduce
regional concerns
about the safety of
online transactions.
7. Want it in that a color?
There’s an app for that!
Take a picture of any color
you like using your phone…
… And the ‘Look 4 Color’
app links you to products in
20 different online stores
carrying your chosen shade.
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1uhila2
8. Creative use of QR codes
Mashable: http://on.mash.to/1ouHb2z Ad Madness: http://bit.ly/1ouI6jI
A magazine ad from Viking Footwear
uses QR codes to showcase
different shoe styles in 3D.
Click the video to see how it works
9. Bitcoin ATM
Bitcoin (introduced in 2009) is perhaps the world’s best
known virtual currency. It is now accepted by many
online retailers and also available from ATMs worldwide:
CNN Money: http://cnnmon.ie/1bIhAkb Map: http://bit.ly/Yk6iOt Image: http://bit.ly/Vvtdoj
10. Online only
groceries in UAE & Qatar
SuperMart &
Fresh Qatar
deliver items to
home-shoppers
across the UAE
and Qatar.
They don’t have
offline stores.
Storify: http://bit.ly/1kLksC9
Disclaimer: All content in these slides is in the public domain and referenced so that you can read the original sources.
Contact Us: [email protected]
Twitter: @ictqatar
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