Mansour Group announces new e-commerce offering through strategic partnership with Souq.com in Egypt

As consumers in Egypt increasingly turn to online shopping, Mantronix – a subsidiary of Mansour Group and sole agents for Samsung consumer electronics in Egypt – has announced the launch of its online e-shop on Souq Egypt, online shopping site in the Arab world.

The two companies signed a strategic partnership agreement to launch the new e-shop, offering online shoppers the comprehensive range of Samsung consumer electronics products and household appliances including refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, TV sets and much more, as well as installation and after sales services.

The agreement was signed by Omar Soudodi, general manager of Souq Egypt, and Tamer Ahmed Fadi, sales manager of Samsung consumer electronics at Mansour Group.

Tamer Fadi said that as a leading distributor of consumer products in Egypt, the approach of Mantronix “Mansour-Samsung” towards strengthening its online shopping exposure was largely influenced by the rapid growth of online shopping in Egypt.

“We are pleased to take this initiative of setting up an e-shop in keeping pace with modern market trends and requirements, especially that of young people and those planning a family life,” he said, and added that “the partnership with Souq Egypt will enable us to develop an online marketing platform that will tremendously benefit from souq.com’s advanced technological and logistical capabilities, from its electronic payment services to an ever growing customer base.”

Commenting on the partnership, Omar Soudodi, general manager of Souq Egypt, said, “Souq Egypt is delighted to join hands with Mansour Group, one of the largest business houses in Egypt and the region. By forming this alliance, we will extend our whole-hearted cooperation to Mansour Group to develop their e-shopping functionalities and features to help cope with increasing demand from shoppers, who purchase their products online. This agreement has opened a new retail front for Souq Egypt, and fits well into our overall expansion strategy of diversifying our current client base by entering new sectors in Egypt.”

“Launching an e-shop for “Mansour-Samsung” on souq.com reflects the rapid growth of online marketing and electronic trade in Egypt. According to data from the ministry of communication and information technology, online users in Egypt reached 19.66 million users by the end of the first half of this year, which is almost a quarter of the country’s population. Studies show that in MENA region, 30% of online users depend on the internet for buying their consumer goods and services. A significant observation from this research is that it shows the time online users spend surfing is more than the time they spend watching TV”, he added.

Omar Soudodi said that Masour Group’s shift to online marketing has become a necessity that was confirmed by all demographic studies carried out in Cairo and Egypt during the last 10 years. A study by TAPR group, in cooperation with USAID, showed that 72% of youth living in Cairo, especially those under 30 years, wanted to move and live outside the capital in the coming ten years. This age group uses the internet extensively. It is also expected that 5 million homes will be built during this period to meet the demand for housing.

Electronics heads the list of requirements for Egyptian households, as the study showed 94% of Egyptian homes have a color TV set, 76% have a satellite dish and 59% of homes have at least one mobile phone. This is on top of other common household and consumer products like refrigerators, washing machines and DVDs, which heads the list of needs for youth.

Tamer Fadi, sales manager of “Mansour-Samsung” for consumer electronics, hailed the government’s strategy to develop electronic trade and services in Egypt, paving the way for the creation of more opportunities to develop the Egyptian economy.

“Steady growth in online shopping is due to many factors including the expansion in housing in Cairo – that constitutes 60% of transactions – construction of new cities and housing centres and the increasing number of youth in Egyptian society (50% of population are under 30). However, it is important to emphasis the significance of government initiatives such as reducing the cost of internet connections along with other initiatives like “computer for every student” and “computer for every home” which have helped spread electronic marketing and trade in Egypt,” Tamer Fadi said.

He said that as part of efforts to enhance growth in online marketing, “Mansour-Samsung” e-shop at Souq Egypt will offer shoppers extra incentives, discounts and special offers in addition to various types of payment methods including cash and paying by credit cards or in installments.

Tamer Fadi called on distributors in Egypt to quickly grab the opportunities offered by online trade, “We’ve seen consumers going online not only to find the goods or services that they need but are also looking at the choices that are available, the best prices and offers on that commodity. While looking at the offer on Internet they might actually end up visiting the shop or branch closest to them to buy the product. What the web does is facilitate the decision-making of the customer, and make it convenient for them to purchase a product, whether online or offline.”

Souq.com Egypt provides complete transactional security through Souq SafePay, a distinguished service that verifies all transactions between buyers and sellers ensuring they are 100% secure for complete peace of mind, as well as purchase delivery to customers through its partners from among the best for quick delivery in Egypt.

Souq is enjoying unprecedented growth in Egypt since its launch earlier this year. Souq is currently the fastest growing e-commerce site in Egypt. It moved up to be ranked 255 most popular website in Egypt on the list of Alexa Internet Inc. for the most popular websites. Souq was previously at 7,000 rank earlier this year. Souq.com’s exponential growth is being driven by its popularity as the premier online marketplace for people looking to buy or sell new and used goods over the Internet. Souq is currently tripling its registered user base every month, and doubling the volume of goods sold online every month.