The Best Online/E-commerce Stores In Kenya That You Can Trust (2021 Review)

The Best Online/E-commerce Stores In Kenya That You Can Trust (2021 Review)

With over 46 million Internet users and an Internet penetration rate of 87%, the highest in Africa, Kenya is a tech-savvy nation. Kenyans are among the most vocal on social media in Africa, and indeed the world.

As more people are getting online, more Kenyans are also shopping online. This has seen a spike in online businesses making use of digital marketing to increase awareness of their businesses’ products and services, and customer care.

Shopping online has become a way of life for many Kenyans. The convenience of downloading an app, scrolling through products on offer, placing an order, seamless payment, and having the product delivered to you is unmatched.

Seeing the potential of e-commerce in Kenya, various online retail sites have launched. Each site has its own unique product offering that is targeted to particular target markets.

In this article I mention the most popular online retail sites in the country. I’ll also mention a few notable ones that will definitely make you ditch Njoro Wa TV’s shop on Luthuli Avenue, lol.

Best For Countrywide Reach: Copia

When Covid-19 struck, many Kenyans lost their jobs and were forced to move to their rural homes. The reality of a rent-free, pollution-free and quiet life suddenly didn’t seem so bad. 

Many came back after the partial lockdowns were lifted. However, a number of people actually chose to permanently shift to their rural homes.

Now, one of the most challenging issues facing E-Commerce in Kenya is serving the majority of Kenyans who live in rural areas. This is because rural populations mostly lack good infrastructure that supports e-commerce, something which people in urban areas enjoy.

If you live upcountry or are considering moving there, but don’t want to miss the convenience of online shopping, Copia might just sort you out.

 

Copia.co.ke

At first glance Copia seems like an ordinary shopping site. It has a wide range of products separated in different categories.

However, the site stands out from the rest as they seek to cater to Kenyans living upcountry, better known as mashinani.

How does Copia Manage to Deliver Upcountry?

They achieve this by having a network of over 20,000 agents spread across different counties. 

As at now, these are in Bungoma, Busia, Embu, Homabay, Kakamega, Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Kisii, Kisumu, Laikipia, Machakos, Murang’a, Nakuru and Narok. They are also located in Nyamira, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Siaya, Tharaka Nithi, Vihiga and Nairobi County.

The agents act as both pick up and order points. Customers can browse through a product catalogue at the agent and make an order of their choice. They can also make orders from the Copia website. 

Orders made will then be processed by Copia and sent to the customer’s preferred pick up point within 2 to 4 days. Agents are just your ordinary local, duka so no need to travel to your nearest town. Really convenient isn’t it?

Be sure to try out Copia.

Best For Vouchers/Offers: Jumia

Touted as “Africa’s Amazon” and headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, Jumia Group was established in 2012. As of 2020, the company has operations in 14 African countries.

A mere mention of e-commerce in Kenya and the first name that comes to mind is Jumia Kenya. Established in 2013, the site is arguably the most popular e-commerce site in the country. This is partly attributed to their marketing campaign. They have also built the widest network of pick up stations, with an aim of reaching Kenyans from all parts of the country.

Jumia also has an agent programme dubbed ‘JForce’ where one can assist an interested customer to order a product on the platform. They will then get to earn a commission when an order is successfully made. This has especially been popular among the younger tech-savvy population, who assist their parents and colleagues in making orders and get to earn some cash.

Pretty neat, isn’t it?

Jumia also has an affiliate program that allows social media influencers and blogs to market Jumia’s products and services on their platforms. Commissions are then earned on every successful purchase made through clicking the affiliate links.

Jumia Kenya definitely stands out from its competitors in the market. However, the company has been facing backlash from some of their customers in regards to the quality of service offered. 

The most common complaints have been receiving the wrong products, receiving damaged products, slow delivery, and slow response in processing return of goods.

However, it is worth noting that the company has taken significant steps in improving their operations. Even though some of these complaints regrettably still exist, their response today is much better than it was a few years back. 

We, however, hope to see them completely sorted out eventually.

These setbacks have not stopped the company from growing operations over the years. They have further ventured into classifieds and food, as well as making partnerships with companies such as Carrefour, Xiaomi, and Nokia to distribute their products. The partnerships make it possible for Jumia to have exclusive offers that make the site stand out from its competitors.

The offers are something you should definitely look out for. 

They include flash sales and Black Friday sales, with prices that are hard to find with any other retailer. From time to time Jumia Kenya also offers discount vouchers, which can help you to save that extra cash.

Jumia Kenya

 Jumia also provides international shipping. This allows you to buy products from their international retail partners. This service has a 7-day return policy in case your product is defective.

As the first one on this list I recommend Jumia for your online shopping of smartphones, tablets, kitchenware, and general products. In case issues arise, as with any other service, you can always reach out to Jumia`s customer care for help.

Best For Second Hand Goods: Jiji

Jiji is an open marketplace whereby anyone who has anything to sell can post. So, whether it’s those shoes that no longer fit, or that bike that your kid outgrew, Jiji can help you get rid of them. Best part is you’ll be earning some cash while at it.

On Jiji, you do not need to have any special permissions or to register as a vendor in order to make a listing. However, there are some premium features that aim to help your ad rank higher.

As a potential buyer, you will find Jiji being particularly helpful in getting second hand products. This can come in handy if you are on a tight budget. You may also be surprised with the variety of products people have in their homes and are no longer using.

Different vendors also post on Jiji, making it more likely for you to find a good deal.

One thing in particular I like about Jiji is that it can be a great way to locate those hard-to-find products. These are products that would normally have you moving from store to store looking for them. 

Jiji.ke

Jiji is perhaps one of the first ever e-commerce sites in the country and has earned its place in this space. However, the site has been the subject of much criticism.

Since Jiji is pretty much open for anyone anywhere to post, it has unfortunately been taken advantage of by scammers, and even crooks.

There have been numerous shares on social media about Kenyans who have seen ads, only to follow up and being disappointed. The outcomes are often either the product posted was not an original product, or not on in stock. Some end up being taken around in circles, or being offered alternative products that they did not want.

Unfortunately, many have fallen prey to these scams. Some buy the said products, only to later realize that they are substandard when the seller is long gone. Others have found themselves being sought by law enforcement for unknowingly buying stolen goods. Quite nasty.

It is therefore paramount that you do your due diligence before making a trade on the platform.

Jiji initially traded in Kenya as OLX, a subsidiary of OLX Group (OnLine eXchange), which has its headquarters in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The company rebranded to Jiji in 2019 when online marketplace jiji.ng, under Walie Holdings Limited, bought OLX operations in Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania and Nigeria.

Best For Verified Sellers: Pigiame

Pigiame is another popular online classifieds site. The platform has been around for a while and is a definite alternative to Jiji.

Like Jiji, the site is open to anyone to post products that they want to sell. As a potential buyer, you are also required to organize with the seller for delivery of the products they are interested in.

Pigiame

One major feature that makes Pigiame stand out from Jiji is that the site has a system where they optionally verify their sellers. Verified sellers receive a verification badge on their profile. This goes a long way in enhancing authenticity of their businesses and general confidence in trading on the site.

The general feedback from users is that Pigiame is a good place to make purchases, and one that I can definitely recommend. Just be sure to opt for trading with verified sellers.

Best For Automobiles: Cheki

Looking to buy your next or first car? Then Cheki.co.ke is your site of choice. Cheki has a catalog of various makes and types of cars.

The first page interface will show different categories to choose from, starting with used and new cars, to the option of importing cars. You will also get to choose your preferred make and model of car, as well as the year of release, and price range.

Cheki also offers car insurance where they have partnered with various motor insurance providers. They also provide insurance on the same day of buying your car, and you can get to drive it on the same day. This is a definite plus.

Cheki.co.ke

The platform also offers motor vehicle financing, whereby after meeting their terms they are able to offer you a loan to purchase your dream car.

If you are looking to sell your current car without a dealer, you can easily sell it on the platform. Existing car dealers can also sell their cars on the platform.

The processes on the site are pretty straight forward, and reviews on Cheki are positive. We recommend this site for anyone looking to buy or sell a car.

Best For Gadgets: Sweech Store

Offering a range of phone accessories as well as other gadgets, Sweech started out as a physical store along Muthithi Road in Westlands, Nairobi. 

Sweech Store

 Sweech has definitely made a name for itself selling original products. The company’s good reputation saw them recently appointed as the only authorized distributors of Anker products in East Africa.

Best For Electrical Components: Nerokas

Nerokas Engineering Solutions was started by former Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology engineering students. It is based in Thika, Kenya.

With a wide stock ranging from motors, capacitors, to control boards, this little-known site is perhaps the only site in East Africa that sells a wide range of electrical components. They also offer deliveries countrywide. 

Nerokas Store

The founders themselves being engineering students found it hard to access electrical components from the local market to run their projects. They had to contend with importing them, which was a tedious process. With this, they started the business in order to fill the electrical component supply gap that they saw in the market. 

For most of us looking for a USB cable or travel adapter, Sweech Store or Jumia will do just fine. But for the geeky/hands-on individuals, Nerokas is a definite DIY haven, and this makes it stand out among the rest.

Best For Devices With Warranty: Masoko

A subsidiary of Safaricom, Masoko.com started out as an intermediary between merchants and customers. However, the site opted to close its doors to merchants and instead opted to exclusively sell their own products. This has significantly seen a reduction in the catalog of products on offer on the site.

Browsing through the site you will find most products on offer being phones and phone accessories by Safaricom.

Masoko.com

 However, having the backing of the giant telco definitely gives the site a big boost in terms of legitimacy. Their customer care service is top-notch. Any buyer on Masoko.com will have a sense of security and confidence in their products and services. 

Unfortunately, delivery outside Nairobi is a bit of a challenge with the site. You might be directed to pick up your package at the nearest Safaricom Retail Shop.

Best For General Electronics: Avechi

Avechi is an online electronics store that started out with selling smartphones and tablets. Buyers were initially required to make their way to their physical store in Nairobi CBD in order to pick up their orders. This gradually changed as the site grew over time. The site now offers deliveries to different parts of the country.

Avechi has also expanded from offering gadgets only and is now selling a wide range of electronics such as TVs, music systems, fridges, and laptops. They are also offering furniture, fashion, and beauty products.

It goes without saying that customers using this site have, in the past complained about services offered on the site, and this has happened on numerous occasions.

Avechi.com

A particular repeated complaint that caught our attention is the selling of phones that do not support Kenyan mobile network frequency bands. We are not sure if these concerns have been addressed. 

Offers may seem tempting, but you wouldn’t want to buy that sleek phone and have to use it over Wi-Fi only, would you?

As of now, we advise that you do your due diligence when choosing a product.. 

Developments in E-commerce

With the challenges experienced in e-commerce in Kenya, various individuals and stakeholders are trying to come up with different solutions to the various problems encountered in this space.

The National Addressing System

The Communications Authority of Kenya has formulated a National Addressing System. Its implementation will see the nationwide numbering and naming of buildings, streets and pieces of land. This is in order to facilitate easy identification of delivery locations on the ground.

The strategy is to be implemented in conjunction with the Ministry of Lands and County Governments. It is still in its initial stages where input from various stakeholders, such as existing players in communications and courier services, is being considered.

The National Addressing System will reduce, if not eliminate, the need for e-commerce sites having pick-up stations. 

It is hoped that once in place, easier identification of customers’ premises will translate to cheaper delivery costs. This will in turn make e-commerce more appealing to both buyers and sellers.

Honorable Mentions

Glovo

A service that was launched in February 2019, Glovo has become a common name in e-commerce in Kenya. Their motorbikes with light-green package boxes at the back are hard to miss, especially in Nairobi. 

Much like Uber, Little and Swvl, the service operates in the gig economy. Glovo uses the Google Maps platform for identification of a customer’s location, and mapping out routes from the sender to the customer. 

It is commonly used for delivering food orders from stores such as KFC and Java House Africa.

Most recently, they have partnered with supermarkets such as Naivas and Carrefour. This means you can make an order from these stores via Glovo and have it delivered to your doorstep. 

Glovo

Glovo also allows for person to person parcel delivery. It is a pretty nifty way of sending and receiving packages in instances where commuting by public means in order to make a purchase would not be ideal.

Pick-Up Mtaani

instead of waiting for the National Addressing System to go live, a startup called Pick Up Mtaani seeks to solve the challenge of sending and receiving packages in towns. They do this by partnering with estate shops within the Nairobi Metropolitan area. 

Pick-up Mtaani

 This is done while charging a standard fee, which is lower than that of its competitors such as Glovo, as well as offering same-day delivery. 

The company started small on Instagram, and its target customers are businesses on social media and their customers. It has managed to secure funding and expand operations, with plans to make it even more convenient and user friendly.

Others such as Savo Store, Vitu Mob, Zigo Fly, Kentex Cargo, and States Duka seek to make it easier to shop from international online retail sites such as Amazon, Alibaba, and Ebay to Kenya

New Entrants

On realizing the potential that e-commerce has in increasing the customer base of a business, more online retails sites have been opened in recent years. These include Shopit, Sky Garden, Mzizzi, Jamboshop, Patabay, Amanbo, Gadget Base and Essential Accessories.

With the challenges Kenyans experience using online retailing services, developers are seeing an opportunity to create solutions to these problems. Consequently, more and more players are joining the e-commerce space, especially by capitalizing on the shortcomings of the existing players.

Conclusion

Once you shop online and feel its convenience, you are definitely not going back. Shopping online has its own perks that are definitely going to have you hooked.

Copia will most likely sort you out from upcountry. Jumia’s offers are hard to beat, plus they have the added advantage of buying from international vendors. Their partnership programmes are also easy to join if you want to earn that extra buck. 

If you are looking for a guarantee on quality smartphone gadgets with warranty, then we recommend Sweech Store and Masoko. The latter is noticeably a bit less stocked, but you’re however guaranteed original gadgets with warranty and great customer service when you shop from them.

The E-commerce ‘wars’ in Kenya continue, but the best thing is that you, the customer, are the one to win.

Nick Tembo
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5 thoughts on “The Best Online/E-commerce Stores In Kenya That You Can Trust (2021 Review)

  1. Nick Nick
    Imagine i read all through because of you and how much i trust you to pull everything together
    This is amazing!
    Thank you for your time to do this research and deciding to share it to us who just knew about Jumia and Kilimall.
    I love this!!

    1. Hey Buns,
      Thank you for taking the time to read the article and I’m humbled by your comment. Yes online shopping is the future and we hope to see more developments in this space

  2. I blog frequently and I genuinely appreciate your content. This article has truly peaked my interest. I’m going to bookmark your site and keep checking for new details about once per week. I opted in for your Feed as well.

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