Much more than a new name
South African online marketplace bidorbuy is currently rebranding as Bob Shop, while fulfilment specialist uAfrica will also be adopting a dynamic new name: Bob Go.
These changes are a natural extension of the 2022 merger between the two companies and the creation of a new entity, Bob Group.
These changes represent a bold step forward for both companies as they continue to innovate and improve their services for customers.
Bob Shop and Bob Go will soon be debuting new logos in the form of a letter “b” incorporated into a stylised hand.
This has been designed to signify that every aspect of Bob Group represents a welcoming space where users will be assured of being given a helping hand.
While the new logo is eye-catching and meaningful, the imminent changes are much more than merely cosmetic. Bob Group’s tagline – everything ecommerce – speaks to the company’s core purpose: to provide the services needed to make ecommerce more accessible and inclusive.
Each of the services offered by Bob Group – including Bob Shop and Bob Go – can be used individually, or in combination to create a holistic, tailormade ecommerce solution.
Bob Shop and Bob Go will have central roles in the Bob Group ecosystem as the platform on which buyers and sellers – the two key audiences – can connect and build communities around shared interests, and as the means by which each transaction is concluded through a streamlined delivery mechanism.
“The rebrand and pivot represent something of a return to our origins,” commented Andy Higgins, founder of bidorbuy and now Managing Director of Bob Group.
“The renewed emphasis on improving and streamlining the user experience on both sides of each transaction will clearly differentiate Bob Shop and Bob Go from other offerings,” he added.
Simplifying life for sellers
The changes being made by Bob Group underscore the company’s determination to make it easier for people to grow their online businesses.
Bob Go will reduce shipping admin by giving sellers the ability to generate waybills with a single click, and select from a range of registered courier services.
Additional Bob Group services will empower sellers to operate seamlessly across multiple platforms (Bob Sync), and make it easier for them to get paid (Bob Pay).
Better for buyers too
Buyers will benefit from the overall streamlining of all Bob Shop processes, and lower shipping rates via Bob Go. They’ll also be able to track their items and get much more accurate delivery timeframes.
“We’ll be placing a real emphasis on improved fulfilment,” explained Craig Lubbe, Head of Marketplace at Bob Group.
“We believe that providing more innovative, more efficient and more cost-effective ways of uniting buyers with their purchases are vital if ecommerce in South Africa is to rise above the plateau it reached during lockdown,” he added.
Thinking inside the box
Pickup point delivery options have revolutionised the way customers receive their orders by eliminating the need for them to wait around for deliveries.
Instead, customers have access to a flexible delivery option that involves dropping off their items at a secure and convenient location that they will likely visit during the course of their regular routines, such as malls and garages.
This means that they can collect their purchases at a time that suits them, without having to worry about missing a delivery or waiting around for a courier.
This is exactly what the new Bob Box courier-agnostic locker solution will offer, with the first Bob Box locker to be located in Menlyn Maine in Pretoria.
Bob Box lockers will combine security with seamless access technology and once the Menlyn Maine pilot scheme has proved the concept, Bob Box will be rolled out across the country.
Bob Box is just one example of the changes that Bob Group will be rolling out over the next few months – changes that promise to improve the experience of online buying and selling across the board, and which will help to ensure that ecommerce in South Africa really is for everyone.
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