It would be fair to say that Amazon has squandered what little goodwill it may have built up in the year-or-so since it launched locally, but now it’s trying to buy some back. Bezos’ retail empire has now expanded to offer customers non-perishable groceries, pet food, and health supplements, according to a report from Reuters.
Taking on Takealot, one Red Bull at a time
Amazon had the opportunity to spin gold when it first launched locally, with Takealot’s monopoly at the time affording it an extraordinary amount of license to properly rival the online retailer with decent deals. It… didn’t do that. Instead, it let Takealot continue to be the go-to choice for many Saffas going forward, and allowed the brand’s name to slip into obscurity. Until now, that is.
“Since our launch, we’ve been listening closely to customer feedback, and groceries, pet supplies and health supplements have consistently been among their top requests,” said Robert Koen, Amazon’s managing director for Sub-Saharan Africa, in a statement on Tuesday.
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If you’re hoping Amazon would take over the duties of Checkers Sixty60, Woolies Dash or something similar, don’t. While the retailer’s new dedicated ‘Grocery‘ and ‘Everyday Essentials‘ storefront supposedly includes thousands of listings, none of which include fresh produce. Expect to see big-name brands such as Red Bull, Nestlé, Simba, and Koo in there.
The move is certainly hoping to knock Takealot down a peg, which, as the current online retail leader in South Africa, has long since offered non-perishable groceries and pet food items without much resistance when it comes to bulk-buying customers. Amazon has the chance to properly compete against its biggest rival now.
Thus far, the response has reportedly been “extremely positive,” particularly for bulk-buying options and multipack savings across the new categories, said Philile Mabolloane, retail head for consumables at Amazon SA.
