Grace Ashiru
MACmobile, which makes cloud-based solutions for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), hopes its new end-to-end e-commerce platform will change general trade in South Africa.
The MAC eCom Platform is a complete B2B platform with built-in warehousing, distribution, and sales modules. This lets spazas use direct order generation and gives independent distributors and wholesalers a powerful digital solution they can plug in and start using.
According to Andrew Dawson, managing director of MACmobile, “With the MAC eCom Platform, we offer a layer of digital transformation to an area of the value chain that has historically been difficult to reach.”
Our progressive Web app is easy to use and works on almost any smart device. It combines MACmobile’s range of solutions into a powerful solution that makes it easier to take orders and manage products and gives retailers a clear view of this part of the retail chain.
The app is easy to use and can be downloaded on any device with a web browser, like most Android-based smartphones. Distributors and wholesalers add their products to the platform to make a catalog that is immediately available to their customer base.
From here, they can manage orders and stock levels, get orders ready for delivery, make invoices, push promotional pricing, and set up loyalty programs. Spaza owners can download the app to see these products, their prices, and special offers, as well as to manage their stock, make and track orders, and even pay for things online.
Dawson says the MAC eCom Platform is more than just a Web plug-in. Instead, it is a cloud-based solution that works on its own. Wholesalers and distributors need to put their stock, prices, and basket availability on the platform, and retailers in the main market will be able to buy them immediately.
It also combines back-end functionality for dispatch management, such as call and collects or delivery options, with end-to-end warehousing, stockman, distribution, invoice generation, and settlement. This makes the supply chain more visible and increases efficiency.
Because the platform is plug-and-play, you can add other value-added services to deepen your relationship with each customer. Adding third-party value-adds directly to the platform makes the experience smooth and meets the customers’ needs at the moment. This gives you access to more information, which gives you a deeper understanding of the customer and lets you get closer to them and build genuine loyalty.
The general trade space in South Africa can benefit significantly from digital transformation, which can automate manual processes, improve data-driven decision-making, and improve customer relationships.
Dawson says, “The MAC eCom Platform is a flexible eCommerce platform that integrates with existing systems to make order management easy and creates a shopping experience similar to what a consumer would have, which takes business growth to a whole new level.”
