The convenience aspect of Jumia’s e-commerce experience manifests in many ways, one of which is our vast pickup station (PUS) network that reduces shipping fees and increases e-commerce awareness by bringing touchpoints closer to customers even in rural and remote areas.
Our ongoing research and interaction has opened our eyes to the need for more expansive delivery services for goods purchased online. Many people in Côte d'Ivoire wanted to send various items to friends, family, and other acquaintances across the country.
Unfortunately, it was quite tricky directing couriers to the actual destination as the available options were expensive and it was difficult to make the journey. Additionally, you’d have to travel long distances to drop off or pick up packages and the necessary communication and support wasn’t always smooth and prompt.
Responding with Jumia Colis Express
With tremendous experience in last-mile delivery and handling returns amidst inadequate physical addressing systems in rural areas, we believed Jumia could excel at customer-to-customer deliveries. We also already had several physical outlets close to customers, which boosted our confidence.
So in September 2021, we started Jumia Colis Express, a delivery service that transcends the typical courier service in many ways. This service enables customers to send parcels to just about any destination within Côte d'Ivoire quickly and affordably.
How does the service work?
A customer goes to the nearest Jumia relay point or agency and hands over the parcel with all the relevant details, such as the destination address and the recipient’s contact information. The sender is issued a shipping receipt with a package tracking number.
They will also know the delivery cost to be incurred by the recipient based on the package size and the delivery zone. The sender can then communicate this information to the recipient, who receives an SMS notification once the package is at its destination.
Customers may enter the package tracking number into our tracking app to view the parcel's location in real-time throughout its journey. They also may choose between different delivery modes, such as delivery to a relay point and home delivery in Abidjan, or even have packages shipped to the countryside.
Our progress so far
Since we started, we have served over thousands of customers. Our team has also rapidly improved access to this service by setting up more than 170 relay points in over 123 cities.
We’ve even extended this service to businesses that need to deliver packages to their customers in different regions of Cote d’Ivoire. It’s also worth noting that we can handle packages weighing more than 100 Kgs, so customers don’t have to worry if it’s a large electrical appliance or piece of furniture that needs moving. We will get it to its destination safely.
Benefits of Jumia Colis Express
The primary advantage is the convenience of having a nearby drop-off point for your parcel. Basically, you spend less time and money trying to get the package to the people who will transport it. The recipient also has an easier time receiving the package.
Customers enjoy the most affordable parcel delivery rates compared to the other courier services. In fact, while we group destinations into four delivery zones, sending a parcel from one zone to the next costs the same if you reverse the journey.
We leverage technology to make the parcel's journey more visible through a user-friendly web application. Therefore, the sender and recipient can rest assured knowing the package is moving as intended. This is crucial for businesses that want to earn customers' trust.
Our logistics personnel have immense expertise in storing and handling delicate items, so they will give each parcel the attention it deserves to keep it intact.
This service creates opportunities for fleet providers and other businesses that would like to partner with us and perform some of the tasks involved, such as attending to pickup stations.
Jumia Colis Express is one of our recent attempts at applying the technical know-how and infrastructure we’ve amassed to cater to other vital consumer needs. We will continue improving this service on multiple fronts, such as access to relay points, payment options, tracking, and communication.
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Nawa Kamagaté
Marketing Associate - Jumia Côte d'Ivoire
Nawa Kamagaté is a Marketing Associate at Jumia Côte d'Ivoire, stepping into the role in 2021. She is responsible for the planning, monitoring and marketing for Jumia Colis Express (B2C & C2C). Nawa joined Jumia Côte D'ivoire in 2018 as a Graphic Designer and then grew to become the Team Lead, Graphic Design before moving on to marketing. Nawa holds a professional degree in Audiovisual Production from ISTC-Polytechnique, Institute of Sciences and Techniques of Communication and a higher technician's certificate in Visual Communication.