To Buy Online or Not To Buy Online - DARAZ

Ecommerce is a relatively unknown and new genre in Pakistan specially in smaller cities. Its the most convenient and hassle-free shopping option. WHY? Because you don't have to go to markets and bargain with the sellers, you get your desired products delivered to your doorsteps. Besides the pros its cons are: you have to trust the seller, he can sell you a counterfeit product claiming to be genuine, delivery can be delayed sometimes, your order can be misplaced and so on and so forth. So I decided to bring to my lovely readers an overview and introduction to online companies. Today, I am beginning with DARAZ.

 (1) How was Daraz conceptualized?

Daraz.pk is a venture of the world's largest internet incubator, Rocket Internet. After successfully establishing Jumia, which has the same model as eBay, in 9 countries, Rocket Internet saw potential in Pakistan and introduced the concept here - creating the largest ecommerce portal in the country. Daraz has now transcended in Bangladesh and Myanmar as well. 

(2) How old is Daraz?

Daraz.pk came to existence about 3 years ago - it started off as a fashion company and then soon started selling a wide assortment of general merchandise as well. Daraz has the widest product assortment - currently it has over 1000 brands and 50,000 products.  

(3) Tell us something about the founder/founders of Daraz.

Rocket Internet approached Muneeb Maayr and Farees Shah with the concept and the two, together, cofounded the company, making it the leading ecommerce store in Pakistan, today. 

(4) What prompted them to launch such a service? Is it a legally established online brand in country? (Just to clarify to our readers: People usually comment whether your products you sell are original or otherwise.)

We are a massive multinational company and not just some small scale website that started selling products. We have official partnerships with brands who create their webstores on Daraz.pk. Our products are 100% original we are a marketplace for all brands who use us as their official online retailers.

(5) How many products do you offer to people to choose from?

Over 50,000 products.

(6) How does the team function i.e. the process to get the goods to the consumer? 

We have a team of 400 people working for us, every department has its own designated responsibilities to ensure smooth sailing, we have proper warehousing and a strong logistics system - everything is very systematic and under control. 

(7) Are you satisfied with the customers’ response to your business?

More than 200,000 to 250,000 people visit Daraz daily that is more than 10 times the footfall at the busiest mall in the country - that goes to show how we have a massive customer base. 

(8) How do you think social media helps one have a successful business?

Social media is absolutely incredible. The thing with traditional marketing such as TV, radio or billboards is that its not targeted, everybody sees everything; however with social media you can do targeted marketing, which means you can make only people who are your target audience view your products. Social Media channels are also a great way to gauge how much your brand is loved - we have over 2.4 million fans on Facebook at this point, that's pretty amazing. 

(9) What's the scope of online business in Pakistan?

E-commerce in Pakistan is at a turning point, it has seen a massive boom. The current size of $30 million is expected to go up to $600 million in the next two years.  

(10) A piece of advice for the buyers.

If you haven't shopped on Daraz yet, it's time you do. We are your complete lifestyle solution. We have made everything according to your convenience, offering all modes of payment, free delivery, customer service and a 7-day return policy if you don't like what you've bought. It's definitely worth a try.