Online one-stop-shop Fargo Shopping recently launched in Kenya, causing worries among small and up coming online ordering and delivery start-ups.
What was scary is that Fargo Shopping has its disposal a nationwide network of over 70 delivery centers and over 50 branches are its own. The portal also signed up over 50 stores on their shop on day one and Fargo Shopping will also enjoy the services of Fargo Courier which has vans and personnel already.
The firms, though with separate managers have an already established management structure, capital assets like vans and personnel and the cash to do their work with ease, but this might also be their stumbling block, for its our yesterday’s successes to kill us not the failures.
Fargo Shopping and Fargo Courier have the Wells Fargo name, a leading international provider of banking, mortgage, investing, credit card, insurance, and consumer and commercial financial services with 160 years experience. Here in Africa, especially in Kenya, Wells Fargo known for financial, courier and security services. It’s venturing into e-commerce might help make delivery fast but its a wake up call for e-commerce firms, especially recently launched start-ups without the muscle Wells Fargo has.
Serving for over 30 years experience in Kenya, the firm has an established business network among its clients, suppliers and partners. Its financial services arm services a great number of banks in Kenya while its courier arm, Fargo Courier Ltd established in 2003 provides delivery, document archiving business and warehousing services in 26,000 ft warehouse. It also has an online delivery system.
It also has The Fargo House- a self contained security complex with nationwide alarm signals manning all vehicle movements for its branches nationwide.
Scary?
Fargo Shopping at the moment has products from Antiques, Art, Auto & Machinery, Beverages, Books & Magazines, Children Goods, DVDs and Film, Electronics Goods, Fashion, Furniture and Interior Decor, Gaming, Gift vouchers and coupons, Groceries, Health and Beauty, Home and Garden, Hotel Services, Households, Industrial, Music, Office Equipment, Services, Phone & Accessories, Photography Equipment, Power Tools, Sports & Outdoors and even Tickets.
Fargo Shopping also has daily deals and offers and adds that its partners- physical retailers can sell their stuff then have them delivered via Wells Fargo courier services countrywide.
Buyers have multiple payment channels such as credit cards, debit cards and mobile money to choose from. Without worry about how still traffic is, Fargo Shopping with its massive resources Fargo Shopping wants to take the city’s shopping malls and stores to everyone countrywide, and the cut is that individual retailers, designers and artists can sign up for a sellers account free of charge.
But founders of online ordering and delivery platforms need not worry, the Goliath-David incident wasn’t a hoax. The market has room for everyone.
We will wait to see how Jumia.co.ke, Rupushops.co.ke, Mimi.co.ke , MyOrder.co.ke among others gain or lose market share.
