Taking on industry leaders with Safian
When Safian moved to the UAE, he noticed a big gap between the major electronic sellers in the region and the local mobile repair shops. He wondered why mobile repair shops were limiting themselves to small-scale in-store sales and services. Why could they not take the same ecommerce model as the big players but provide refurbished mobile phones at a more competitive price point?
Jumnah was born. Its goal is to provide an exceptional shopping experience and customer service for shoppers looking to buy nearly new electronics.
We sat down with Safian to understand how he carved out a section of the market in an industry traditionally dominated by a few big names.
Safian's five tips to take on the big players
- Superb customer service
- Quick delivery
- Amazing quality control
- Customised packaging
- Find your niche
Superb customer service
One way a challenger brand can gain an advantage is through customer service. Large brands have complex systems and a high turnover of agents, which can lead to inconsistent customer experiences. Being a challenger in the market allows us to personalise our customer support and give each issue the proper attention it needs.
Being on your customers' preferred channels is essential when challenging big brands. In this region, most of the traffic comes through WhatsApp, but make sure to also provide email, phone, and social media if customers prefer.
Quick delivery
This one isn't about gaining an advantage over the more significant players but instead about ensuring you provide equal service. Quick delivery is essential, as large companies have made it the norm for shoppers, especially in this region.
Don't limit yourself to one delivery partner. Use different delivery partners depending on the location and time of the customer's order. Being smaller helps keep track of everything, ensuring that all our customers receive their orders either on the same day or the next.
Amazing quality control
As a challenger brand, you have more control over the quality of items that leave your storage. Jumnah conducts a 60-point check on all items that leave the shop, allowing them to be confident that each shopper is having an experience similar to that when buying new. There shouldn't be any surprises; what a customer pays for is what they get.
Customised packaging
Creating your own packaging is an easy way to impress your customers. Using custom packaging instead of unmarked envelopes adds a level of social proof and legitimacy to your brand that big brands automatically have.
Don't think that your job is done after shoppers click the buy button. For challenger brands, ensuring that you get repeat customers and positive word-of-mouth reach is essential if you're going to challenge the big players.
Find your niche
Instead of competing with the existing players like for like, carve out a niche to differentiate yourself. In our case, it is that we sell refurbished electronics at a lower price, but for you, it could be anything from using natural, sustainable ingredients to being a local company.