Massmart has introduced a brand new online platform aimed exclusively at business customers. Dubbed ‘Makro Business,’ the site aims to provide businesses of all sizes with a unique online shopping experience, offering an extensive array of business-relevant products at attractive prices.
All Business
Much like individual consumers, South African businesses face economic challenges that demand innovative solutions. As you know, Makro has a huge product range that encompasses food, liquor, stationery, office furniture, catering supplies, and more, as well as considerable buying power, so it was only a matter of time before they turned their attention to the business market.
And it’s a smart move, too: launching an e-commerce website focused entirely on business needs gives South African companies the opportunity to streamline their purchasing processes. Now, they have the chance to buy what they need from one place rather than having to deal with multiple specialised suppliers to procure products in different categories.
Justin Hawkins, Vice President for B2B eCommerce at Massmart, emphasises Makro’s history of serving diverse business customers for over 52 years. From large corporations and educational institutions to hotels, restaurants, garage shops, franchise stores, and independently owned retailers, Makro’s experience spans the spectrum. The Makro Business website capitalises on this experience, presenting business customers with an efficient and budget-friendly website from which they can procure what they need.
Hawkins notes, “The new Makro Business website optimises this expertise to provide our business customers with a quick, easy, and affordable one-stop procurement experience.”
Interface-to-face
The Makro Business website is designed with the customer in mind, offering a straightforward sign-up process that includes real-time background checks and business verification, ensuring that legitimate businesses can access exclusive pricing on products tailored to their specific needs. To make procurement even more accessible, Makro Business introduces a 0% interest trade account for seamless payments. Customers can choose between reliable pickup options or efficient delivery services for order fulfillment.
Hawkins adds, “The launch of the Makro Business website represents the first steps of an individually tailored experience that businesses can expect when they shop with us in the future. There is much more to come.”
In a world where convenience, cost-efficiency, and speed are paramount, it seems Makro Business hopes to provide businesses across South Africa with what they need to thrive. The platform’s commitment to simplifying procurement processes, reducing costs, and ensuring prompt delivery is laudable, and potentially even sets a new standard in the B2B eCommerce landscape.
If you’re one of the many South African businesses Makro is hoping to attract with the launch of their new business website, head over to business.makro.co.za to see if what they have fits your needs.
Makro Business proposal
We’ve given the website a cursory once-over and the design looks pretty good. The range of products on offer is impressive and logically arranged to appeal to buyers looking for business-related products.
Our only reservation is their “free delivery for orders over R5,000” offer, which is a bit disappointing since other online stores offer that for much less (plus it runs contrary to the idea of being budget-friendly). Sure, this is a business-focused website and those other sites aren’t, but still, that’s a lot to spend before free delivery becomes available.
We are pleased to report that at least some of their prices aren’t too shabby: A 1.5kg tin of Ricoffy (the staple of office managers too cheap to buy Nescafe) is going for R194.95 on promotion, which is considerably less than we could find anywhere else online.
Business peeps, keep an eye on the site: Appropriately managed, and if the prices are right, it could absolutely be the panacea that Makro’s announcement makes it out to be. But as always, the proof is in the pudding.