E-tailers aren’t heroes of e-commerce

The Web has entered a new, participatory and social phase. Some have dubbed it Web 2.0, others refer to the third wave of the net, but one thing is clear – consumers are the producers of the web, the not-so-silent partners of the e-commerce world. The early stages of...

The Internet has changed users

The way we think, read and shop has changed for good. The way we shop online and the way we operate offline are distinctly different things. Our minds have become used to toggling between screens, with some purchases better suited to fast data-point shopping...

Mobile payments improve customer experience

Mobile payment technologies are gradually beginning to make inroads into both cash and credit card payments in South Africa – mostly because of the convenience they offer to both the customer and the business owner. Vuyo Mpako, Head of Innovation and Channel Design at...

Online tools help dealerships sell more cars

The retail automotive industry is one of the most competitive in the world. Customers have more choice, more buying power and sadly, less time, than ever before – which would explain the explosion of online car sales platforms and how individuals use them. “Research...

Online car platforms fail the motor industry

I’ve spent my entire life involved, in some way or the other, in the motor industry – at oil companies, the Retail Motor Industry Association and, recently, the world of online car sales. When e-commerce (and the subsequent deluge of e new car platforms) started...

Becoming e-safety conscious

The Internet is becoming more accessible to the average South African, but there are a lot of mistakes that new users are making that could prove to be dangerous. “The Internet is becoming essential for us,” says Claire Cobbledick, head of Marketing for Gumtree South...