Auction Web site bidorbuy.co.za has announced a partnership with multi-channel commerce solution provider DigitalMall to offer consumers new online auction and shopping options.
Bidorbuy.co.za, entering profitability for the first time this year, says the new deals were prompted by a move into the DigitalMall office in mid-March. The companies saw opportunities to pool resources and make new, joint offerings available. One of these, Max Bid, has seen an enthusiastic response, says bidorbuy.co.za MD Andy Higgins.
Higgins says Max Bid and bidorbuy.co.za have 180 000 registered users, an average of 60 000 unique visitors per month and a turnover of around R1.5 million a month. Bidorbuy.co.za and DigitalMall have now formed a strategic partnership that will enable retailers to promote special offers to consumers across both high-traffic sites but with two different purchase options. Essentially DigitalMall will become the `buy` in bidorbuy and items that are available for auction will also be available for purchase on www.digitalmall.com.
The new initiative ties in closely with the Max Bid offering, which gives customers the opportunity to bid on high-priced items that have a reserved maximum. Although not calculated on a specific formula, this maximum is usually 5% to 10% of the retail price of the item.
In essence, an item to the value of R100 000 could be up for auction with the maximum bid allowed being only R5 000. A maximum number of bids is accepted per item. Consumers pay a nominal fee for each bid they make and the highest unique bid secures the item.
To expand this offering to a broader market, the partners have also introduced a call centre line which allows customers to bid over the phone. "The more channels our customers can use to interact with us, the more convenient and accessible we become," says Yaron Assabi, CEO of DigitalMall Holdings.
"The telephone is still the preferred means of communication. Aside from just accepting bids and handling customer queries, there is also a definite benefit to having a real-world presence associated with the Web site."
Share
