Latest news with #RobertKoen
Zawya
6 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
South Africa: Amazon.co.za expands its offering with everyday essentials
Amazon South Africa expands its product offering with the launch of three popular everyday essentials categories: Groceries, Pet Food, and Vitamins and Supplements. Robert Koen, Amazon managing director for sub-Saharan Africa. Image supplied This selection enhancement brings thousands of new non-perishable food items, pet food products, and health supplements to customers across the country with the added benefit of free delivery for products shipped by Amazon. The multi-category introduction marks a major milestone in Amazon's growth in South Africa, addressing some of the most frequently requested product types since the company's launch in the country. The new selection includes both international favourites like Nestle, Red Bull, and Starbucks, and beloved local brands like Beacon, Simba, and Koo, catering to the diverse needs of South African households. 'We're thrilled to bring these extensive new categories to our South African customers,' said Robert Koen, Amazon managing director for sub-Saharan Africa. Image supplied "Since our launch, we've been listening closely to customer feedback, and groceries, pet supplies, and health supplements have consistently been among their top requests. This expansion represents our commitment to becoming a one-stop shopping destination that meets the everyday needs of South African families while offering the convenience, competitive pricing, and reliable delivery that customers expect from Amazon - we deliver when we say we will.' Interest across all 3 categories Early data indicates strong customer interest across all three categories. In Groceries, coffee, tea, cereals, pasta, cooking oils, and canned goods are emerging as top sellers. Image supplied The Pet Food selection, which includes options for dogs, cats, birds, fish, and small animals, has seen particular demand for premium pet nutrition brands and specialty formulations. Meanwhile, the Vitamins and Supplements category has attracted health-conscious consumers with its comprehensive range of multivitamins, minerals, sports nutrition, and specialty supplements. "Our expanded selection, which we will continue to grow, has been carefully curated with South African customers in mind," said Philile Mabolloane, Retail Head for Consumables at Amazon South Africa. Philile Mabolloane, Retail Head for Consumables at Amazon South Africa. Image supplied "We've focused on bringing together a compelling mix of everyday essentials, trusted brands, and unique specialty products that aren't always easily accessible in all parts of the country. Our goal is to simplify shopping for busy South Africans while offering excellent value across our selection. The initial customer response has been extremely positive, particularly for our bulk buying options and multipack savings across all three categories," notes Mabolloane. All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
IOL News
6 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
A new era for online shopping as Amazon expands product range in South Africa
Amazon has expanded its product offerings in South Africa, introducing groceries, pet food, and health supplements to compete with established retailers Image: File Just more than a year after landing on South African shores with a . domain, Amazon has expended its product range to take on entrenched retailers who have had a virtual presence since the COVID-19 lockdown spurred online and app-based shopping. started as a bookseller in 1995 out of founder Jeff Bezos's garage and, at launch last May, was set to compete with Takealot, and Makro. And now it's playing in the food and over-the-counter medicinal product space. In what the company said on Wednesday is a 'major milestone in Amazon's growth in South Africa,' it stated that it had added groceries, pet food, vitamins, and supplements to its offerings. Adding these categories, it said, 'brings thousands of new non-perishable food items, pet food products, and health supplements to customers across the country'. Amazon's new selection includes both international favourites like Nestle, Red Bull, and Starbucks, and beloved local brands like Beacon, Simba, and Koo, catering to the diverse needs of South African households. The e-tailer, which is globally the fourth most valuable company with a market capitalisation of $2.18 trillion, operates local websites in various countries, including Australia, Canada, India, and Mexico. The 2024 World Wide Worx report, sponsored by Peach Payments, Mastercard and AskAfrika, shows that South Africa's online retail surged to R71bn in 2023, with projections that it will surpass R100bn by 2026. Robert Koen, Amazon MD for sub-Saharan Africa, said, 'since our launch, we've been listening closely to customer feedback, and groceries, pet supplies, and health supplements have consistently been among their top requests'. Early data indicates strong customer interest across all three categories. In groceries, coffee, tea, cereals, pasta, cooking oils, and canned goods are emerging as top sellers. The pet food selection, which includes options for dogs, cats, birds, fish, and small animals, has seen particular demand for premium pet nutrition brands and specialty formulations, said Amazon. Amazon added that the vitamins and supplements category has attracted health-conscious consumers with its comprehensive range of multivitamins, minerals, sports nutrition, and specialty supplements. On launch, the e-tailer said it sought to support local independent companies and, to this end, hosted its inaugural Seller Summit, bringing together over 300 local entrepreneurs at its Cape Town headquarters last month. More than 60% of global Amazon sales stemming from independent sellers. This was preceded, last September, by 'Shop Mzansi', a curated storefront on showcasing unique local products that reflect South Africa's rich and diverse cultures. 'Shop Mzansi' features thousands of products across different categories – including toys, home and kitchen appliances, outdoor and braai, baby, luggage, and beauty. 'Shop Mzansi showcases more than 160 brands from new, emerging, and established South African businesses, each with their own unique story,' Keon said at the time. He added that it will continue adding to the Shop Mzansi selection as it onboard more sellers and helps them list their products. More than 60% of sales in Amazon's stores globally are from independent sellers – most of which are small- and medium-sized businesses. IOL
Reuters
03-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Amazon South Africa expands into groceries, pet food and health supplements
JOHANNESBURG, June 3 (Reuters) - Amazon (AMZN.O), opens new tab has expanded its product offering in South Africa, launching non-perishable groceries, pet food and health supplements in hopes of winning over more customers. Amazon, which has been selling in South Africa for a year, hopes its expanded offering will make it a one-stop shopping destination. owned by tech investor Naspers (NPNJn.J), opens new tab, is the current e-commerce leader in South Africa and it already sells those products. In a statement on Tuesday, Amazon said the product expansion marked a major milestone for its growth in South Africa, addressing some of the most frequently requested product types. The new selection includes both international favourites such as Nestle, Red Bull and Starbucks and local brands including Beacon, Simba and Koo, it added. "Since our launch, we've been listening closely to customer feedback, and groceries, pet supplies and health supplements have consistently been among their top requests," said Robert Koen, Amazon Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa. The initial customer response to the change has been "extremely positive", particularly for the retailer's bulk buying options and multipack savings across all three categories, said Philile Mabolloane, Retail Head for Consumables at Amazon South Africa.
