Takealot rolling out 1-hour delivery service trial

Takealot has revealed that it is currently rolling out a new 1-hour on-demand delivery service trial in Cape Town’s northern suburbs.

Called TakealotNow, the service is going to be available in Durbanville, Bellville, Brackenfell, Kraaifontein, Kuilsriver and Parow. It plans to add additional areas soon. A wide range of curated products are available for 1-hour delivery, including laptops, smartphones, beauty essentials, toys, and alternative energy products.

TakealotNow is available through a section of the Mr D app, and customers are able to enjoy the speedy delivery up to 22:00.

Frederik Zietsman, the CEO of Takealot.com, said South African online shoppers are growing increasingly used to quick turnarounds.

Checkers Sixty60 has popularised delivery within an hour, and many competitors are now offering similar services.

Alex Wörz, the CEO of Mr D said TakealotNow is a customer proposition that is aligned with Takealot and Mr D’s customer-centric strategy. “The proposition opens up the opportunity to scale across the country using our distribution network of over 15,000 delivery partners,” he added.

Zietsman revealed that the price to have items delivered within an hour is the same as the normal Takealot courier pricing as the service aligns with their strategy to grow their eCommerce offering through customer-centric services.

eCommerce in South Africa is still behind other countries, such as Brazil and Argentina, and that shows how much potential there is for growth. “There is massive potential for digital commerce in South Africa, and the service providers in the market will accelerate the growth,” he added.

He also mentioned that local consumers are not served particularly well, which presents a tremendous opportunity for Takealot.

Zietsman’s expectation is unique demands in different areas, allowing them to tailor the service based on consumers’ needs. “The assortment of products in a township may look completely different from what is available in an urban area,” he said.

He added that they are excited because of the customised, nuanced model where consumer demand dictates product ranges instead of being offered everything you think they want to buy.