Ecommerce services wouldn’t be here without the internet. Ever since the web started becoming commonplace in the 90s, and 2000s for developing nations, businesses have immersed themselves online to sell their products and services. This is basically the backbone of e-commerce.
To date, the strides that have been made in this industry have become evident, but with continued advancement in technology, the e-commerce segment has been seeing skyrocketing growth.
That said, retailers have been exploring innovative ways to reduce delivery times so they can boost their conversion rates and, in the process, up their income.
For instance, not only will the widespread use of drones for the delivery of products save e-commerce platforms time and money during the last mile, but it will also be very attractive to the immediate needs of their customers and clients.
This is what we have been seeing take place on some e-commerce platforms, including Amazon which has since taken advantage of drone technology.
The same tech is being widely adopted by unicorn e-commerce platform Jumia. According to a statement from the company, it has since partnered with Zipline, which offers automated, on-demand deliveries with its drones.
The partnership was inked a few months back, and the whole arrangement was put into motion with a pilot test in Ghana.
The test was performed across multiple use cases and using multiple products that logged up to 2500 km in testing.
It has been revealed that deliveries to outlying Jumia hubs that stretched as far as 85 km from the take-off point at the Zipline operational hub in Omenako, Ghana, were completed in under one hour.
The pilot was also marked by real-time visibility of the drone by all stakeholders during the delivery cycle.
This week’s formal partnership between the two partners will see drone deliveries expand outside Ghana to Ivory Coast and Nigeria. Other African countries will also be covered in the future.
Jumia serves 11 countries in Africa, including Kenya. Its logistics networks include more than 30 warehouses, over 3000 drop-off stations and pick-up points.
Back in 2020, the platform announced that its logistics services would be available to third-party services for last-mile deliveries.
On its side, Zipline’s platform is made up of a fleet of light, electric aircraft, and flight management systems. The drones work best for customers who need their deliveries done in under 45 minutes.
Jumia has also been working with Solar Taxi and eBee in Ghana and Kenya, respectively, to achieve a green footprint and sustainable renewable energy.
Quotes
“Using the latest instant logistics technology will allow Jumia to offer our consumers on-demand delivery of the products they need – instantly. Whether they’re ordering electronics, fashion, health, and beauty, or other categories, Zipline’s instant logistics system will provide fast and convenient access. This will support Jumia’s commitment to sustainability and innovation and provide much-needed access to rural and remote areas where conventional delivery services have challenges”. said Apoorva Kumar, EVP Jumia, Group COO.
“Zipline is pleased to partner with Jumia to use instant logistics to improve the lives of customers across Africa. This collaboration will increase access to goods for customers and help small and medium sized businesses grow. Zipline’s safe and efficient instant logistics system will make shopping on Jumia even more convenient, sustainable and accessible for its customers”, said Daniel Marfo, SVP – Zipline Africa
