Beauty and perfume products are the most ordered on Jumia by Kenyans in rural areas, a new report by the online shopping platform has revealed.

The report, dubbed E-Commerce in Rural Areas, indicates that beauty and perfume products account for the highest sales at 16 percent of the total sales in rural areas.

Other top-selling categories are home (furniture, bedding, etc.) at 11 percent, phones (11 percent), TVs (10  percent), and computing devices (7 percent), to close the top five list.

According to the report, most consumers in rural areas shop on Jumia due to favorable prices, product availability, and diversity of products. Once an order is placed, it takes 2-5 days to reach consumers in rural areas.

Eldoret, Nakuru, Kakamega, Kitale, and Kisumu regions as the most promising areas for online shopping, with the biggest consumers being youths.

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The report highlights how online marketplaces can bring opportunities to underserved rural regions by providing access to millions of products and also creating employment opportunities.

“E-commerce enables all consumers to buy products at the same price whether they live in Nairobi, Meru, or Lodwar. Delivery costs have also decreased over the years; the average delivery cost to rural areas is now around Sh 300, depending on the item’s size. Pick-Up Station deliveries have helped reduce prizes and minimize the environmental impact”. Said Chris Nyaga, Head of Logistics, Jumia Kenya.

Jumia notes that 72 percent of Kenya’s population lives outside the main cities, and access to a supermarket is challenging in such areas, presenting an opportunity for e-commerce to grow and meet the rising demand in these areas.

While the future of e-commerce in rural areas is promising, Jumia says that low internet penetration, poor infrastructure, and lack of trust among consumers have affected service delivery.

To boost its trust among consumers, the company works with JForce – a countrywide network of over 25,000 independent sales agents – who drive awareness in local communities, inform customers about Jumia offers, and help them order on the platform.