Samsung Electronics South Africa launches Samsung Online Store for Consumers

Meeting a growing demand by consumers for convenience, the Samsung Online Store will not only provide safe, accessible shopping, but allow consumers to compare products and accessories that suit their specific needs best

Samsung Electronics South Africa today launched its first online consumer store amidst much excitement! The online store, which is easily accessible at www.samsungonlinestore.co.za is designed to meet today’s busy lifestyle. Consumers will initially be able to purchase from four sections – Mobile Phones, Home Appliances, PC/Peripherals and Print Solutions. This will offer a range of products from phones and tablets, air-conditioners, notebooks and monitors, as well as printer and printer consumables.

Online Store to meet e-commerce demand
“More than 50% of consumers that were visiting our website were interested in buying products immediately – considering that we are always looking for ways to make our consumers’ lives easier, we decided to open this online store,” says Deon Liebenberg, Managing Director at Samsung Electronics South Africa. “This, coupled with the growth, and subsequent demand in e-commerce (6.8 million people will be online for 5 years or more by 2015, essentially doubling the current e-commerce market potential*) has meant that extending our channel to market through this online store will only promote our brand promise of digital leadership.”

Online shopping a breeze for consumers
The Samsung Online Store will afford consumers the opportunity to mix and match products and accessories as they please, and at their leisure. This gives the consumer more control and makes the buying experience a breeze for online shoppers who don’t have time to go into a store.

Shopping made easy in three easy steps
So how does the online store work? It’s as simple as three easy steps – browse, buy and pay. Once the consumer is done browsing and choosing their products, payment can be made with a credit card (Visa and MasterCard) or via the EFT option. Once the transaction has been approved and payment received, the products that have been purchased by the consumer will be delivered to their doorstep within seven working days.

Future growth using social media
“This store is officially live and will continue to grow in the months to come. Samsung is also looking towards utilising key social media tools and platforms in the near future to open up additional access to our products. This will ensure that our online presence further expands in line with our walk-in Samsung brand stores,” concludes Liebenberg.

South Africa website re-vamped
Another piece of exciting news – the Samsung South Africa website has been revamped and revived with more functionality, spunk and interactivity! The site is now more user-friendly and content is readily available in just a few clicks. Social Media has been seamlessly integrated onto the website so consumers don’t have to leave the site to share products or ‘Like’ the Samsung Facebook page. In a further effort to ensure ‘real time’ service, there is a Live Chat functionality for Customer Services so that customer queries can be resolved effectively and efficiently User-generated content is a great way for Samsung to listen to their consumers, and they are all ears. This feature will include consumer reviews on product and consumer product ratings (on a scale of 1 – 5) and can be completed and viewed on the site. The new-look website is livelier, sleeker and just another avenue for Samsung to make life simpler for consumers.

*World Wide Worx, Online Retail in SA 2011