The advent of E-Koshai

With the rise of E-commerce and the burgeoning of "smart" entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, the type of business is progressively expanding from product to service. When businesses make this transition, it is an indication of a tertiary stage of development, with service-based solutions overlapping commodity-based ones.

Online shopping has been growing popular throughout the years and with innovative packages offered during peak seasons, Eid is a target for most e-commerce businesses. Apart from all the other promotional products offered at discounts or attractive prices, other services have been seen to solve basic problems during Eid. The other biggest Islamic festival in the country, brings with it some regional and traditional issues that many a times entail the sufferings of the citizens.

A e-solution for the Koshai problem?
Discovering new business trends and current opportunities, businessmen have been quick to offer innovative solutions, this Eid in the form of "E-Koshai", a butcher service for all the livestock slaughtered during Eid-ul-Adha. Two such businesses have been identified. They claim in their social media that business this Eid has gone successfully. One of those, Sheba Platform Limited, had a supply of 158 three-member butcher teams covering the city with 17 supervisors throughout the Eid. Rated quite highly, the expert butchers cost Tk250 for every Tk1,000 of the cost of the animal. Medium skilled butchers cost Tk200 for the like. The other business, Quicknok, had 120 butcher team. They have maintained high standard by collecting information on these butchers around the city, including their NID.

PayPal enters!

Sonali Bank signs MoU with PayPal
PayPal is finally coming to Bangladesh!

After holding talks with the ICT minister in July 2015, an MoU has been finalized by PayPal after sending it to them a month back.

PayPal is an electronic payment systems used on a regular basis worldwide for paying online. Businesses and shopping most of them use this system. Since Bangladesh was facing difficulty in arranging remittances to enter the country, while a vision of thriving e-commerce is dawning, the government has made it official. State-owned Sonali Bank has signed this MoU of business cooperation.

Plea for incentives - E-commerce

Withdraw all taxes on e-commerce: FBCCI
With the speculation of the possible arrival of e-commerce giants Amazon and Alibaba in Bangladesh in 2017, the domestic sector is still at a nascent stage of development. This thought was shared by the president of the E-commerce association, E-CAB, at a discussion on the aspect of IT in the proposed budget for FY17, at the FBCCI office. The FBCCI president also compared the robust and sustained growth of the RMG sector, which was possible only through continuous government support. He urged this to be replicated to the E-commerce sector as well, a USD$500 bn market globally, with healthy allocations for entrepreneurial loans and waver until of taxes until 2024.

E-commerce and the Digital Frontier

Producers eye e-commerce to boost sales
Some of the consumer product brands are betting on e-commerce as their expansion pathway, riding on the booming technology wave. Big producers and esteemed fashion houses shared their opinions about the boons of e-commerce. Targeting global consumers is the new window of opportunity being discussed presently.

Robi introduces free WiFi services in commuter buses, taxicabs
Robi is coming up with leading technological advances in the country, with Wifi Hotspots in buses and taxis. 100 of each have received free Wifi Internet powered by Robi. Robi will encourage consumers further with provision of this service soon to 500 top resaurants, cafes, retail outlets, 100 educational institutes, 10 public places, as well as increasing the number to 350 buses and taxis. 1GB Robi Internet pack subscribers can access Wifi in these places for free. The telecom has partnered with the ISPsAccessTel, Qubee and Amra to plan this. Robi believes about creating "digital bridges" and has been delivering on that front purposefully.

Grameenphone, Facebook launch Free Basics
Grameenphone has already established Easynet, which provides information about learning the internet for free. It has already attracted 1.5 million users. Now, Facebook Free Basics is being introduced which allows people to use Facebook for free.

E-Commerce policy preview

Policy for e-commerce in the making

E-Commerce is being prioritized as a burgeoning sector in the country, to be the recipient of foremost infrastructural support. The E-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB), the official association founded for e-commerce, has adopted formulating the policy guidelines for e-commerce in the country. The ICT minister is observing this sector as more crucial this year. A draft preparation is assigned to e-CAB, which will be finalized upon comprehensive review.

E-commerce through smarphones rise

86pc of users trust e-commerce: surveyStudy: Well-off consumers opt for online shopping
The combination of online marketplace and the affordability of smartphones are driving a strong sector to a steep growth curve: E-commerce. It is reported in a survey that 18% of the middle-class in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet buy online, everyday. LightCastle Partners have reported that 86% of the the 450 respondants have a trustworthy perception regarding E-commerce. These respondants are young, between ages of 20-40, and belong to the middle class, with earning between US$251-US650.

Sale Sale Sale! and E-commerce future

Sales via Kaymu skyrocket

We all know about the famous Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, that mostly frenzy customers in the US, but the trend is maintained and is spreading world wide. Bangladesh, a charming economy eventually, but aggressively, catches on to any international trend. The electronic gadget industry, IT and now progressive business popularity of E-commerce is creating new era of business and trends. Thus, a few renowned E-commerce websites extended their services to adopt the Black Friday sale trend, and it absolutely caught on.

One such E-commerce platform, Kaymu.com, witnessed 800% hike in daily orders, with order count reaching six every minute for the particular 24 hours. The unimaginable and overwhelming response, Kaymu officials said, increased by 150% for visitor rate and 330% for conversion rate. Welcomingly, access to the website was near-to-half on handheld devices and through the app.

Telecoms & e-businesses losing money due to Facebook block

Facebook block hits telecoms and e-businesses hard

Previously we covered how F-commerce, or Facebook based business is being hurt due to government blockades of technology. Here are some newer highlights on the sector while the blockade continues, and continues to render facebook and e-businesses into loss-making sectors.

Bangladesh's mobile operators are losing Tk 1.5 crore daily as revenues from data services are down by 70% following the government's blocking of Facebook. Broadband service providers are losing Tk 40 lakh per day. Facebook-based businesses are losing Tk 2 crore each day. Check out the full story in today's Dhaka Tribune

Facebook closure and F-commerce

FB-based business badly hurt

The recent decision by the government, which is not a new one, to close social media empire of Facebook has greatly affected E-commerce, as this mode is still the largest utilization for operations of the industry. An estimated loss of Tk 2 crore daily has been reported and a 25% setback of the overall E-commerce sector is expected by market insiders. Thirty percent of E-commerce is dominated by Facebook-commerce. Orders, sale, logistics are all disrupted by this security intervention, an expected date still not known for resuming normal service.