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The campaign theme for this year’s awards, marking the 45th time it has been held, is ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears’.
CONSUMER TRENDS
By our News Team | 2022
Online shopping is rising rapidly, but big brands are not tailoring their products and messages for the unique township ecosystem.
Consumers in South Africa’s township communities are turning to online shopping in surprisingly high numbers, a new study has found. Last year, the percentage of people who purchased online stood at 28 percent – this year it is at 70 percent.
The data is contained in the 2022 South African Township Customer Experience (CX) Report, released this week by digital marketing agency Rogerwilco and research company Survey54. Their report analyses the saving, spending and shopping behaviour of over 1 400 township residents across the country.
Photo by Olga Ernst via Wikimedia Commons
“Township e-commerce usage has grown exponentially,” said Survey54 CEO, Stephan Eyeson, during a virtual launch of the latest report.
“Take-outs and food delivery are popular choices. Many still complain there is limited delivery in townships; companies mentioned this is due to demand. We are aiming to see much more growth in the next year.”
Adds the report: “This year, 70% of our audience are making purchases online. The younger the audience, the higher the propensity is for online purchases.
“Spaza shops, eateries and delivery services are capitalising on this trust, taking advantage of opportunities in communities historically underserved by large brands. For example, 29% of the respondents report having ordered online from small independent food outlets— the majority of which evolved out of the Covid crisis.”
Among the other key insights:
Note the researchers: “One message is clear from the report — brands need to recognise the importance of tailoring their products and messages for the unique ecosystem developing in townships. It is becoming increasingly clear that trust and authenticity have a high premium in this environment.”
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