Endeca Technologies, Inc. is working with kalahari.net to deliver an expanded eCommerce websiteEndeca Technologies, Inc. is working with kalahari.net to deliver an expanded eCommerce website
This collaboration results in a significant expansion of kalahari.net’s eCommerce operations and its consumer-to-consumer (C2C) and business-to-consumer (B2C) marketplace.
Owned by MIH Internet Holdings, a Naspers company that specialises in pay-television and Internet subscriber platforms, kalahari.net is a pioneer in the South African e-commerce industry. As the market leader, it retails millions of books, eBooks, music, DVDs, games, cameras, and electronics online. It also trades in Kenya and Nigeria.
Statistics show that eCommerce is on a sharp upward curve in South Africa. The most recent survey on online shopping habits by MasterCard Worldwide show that 77 per cent of connected South Africans are shopping online and have done so in the past three months. 49 per cent bought CDs and DVDs online, surpassing the purchase of online airline tickets at 44 per cent.
Michael Needham, CTO, MIH Africa & Middle East, confirms that eCommerce is a rapidly growing sector in South Africa. “Our consumers are increasingly drawn to the online experience as access to the Internet expands. Being an early mover that rapidly grew to a market leading position, our platforms needed to match the challenge. We turned to Endeca to enhance the overall engagement with our customers and to ensure that we kept pace with the marketplace’s anticipated growth. With Endeca’s proven scalability and merchandising functionality, we are well positioned to build a world class offering that will both retain customers and attract new ones."
Endeca’s technology provides customers with the most relevant and targeted content where it matters most – in the decision making process. It dynamically presents the most relevant and targeted content, based on the customer’s actions, at each step of the shopping experience. The patented Endeca MDEX Engine technology, a new class of technology optimised for helping shoppers explore content, regardless of its source or format, delivers the user experience and advanced merchandising capabilities that improve traffic, conversion and online sales.
"Online consumers want control over their shopping experience with the best user experience possible, combining search, navigation, and access to content in context," said John Andrews, vice president, marketing and product management, eBusiness at Endeca. "This is why more and more retailers around the world are turning to Endeca to maximise the value of their content and create a customer experience that increases sales and customer loyalty, while reducing site management costs."
