Expand your e-commerce offering with Thumbzup Webwrapper

According to Business Insider South Africa, e-commerce in South Africa grew by 66% in 2020 and is expected to top R40 billion by the end of 2021. This growth has driven a lot of new start-ups into e-commerce. However, the statistics need to be seen in context, as brick and mortar outlets remain the dominant force in SA, responsible for 96% of total retail sales, based on stats compiled by worldwideworx.com.

As we move to level two and beyond, shoppers are expected to make a return to traditional in-store shopping and some of the e-commerce start-ups will be looking to open a physical in-store presence. Thumbzup has recognised the opportunity to make the click-to-mortar transition as simple and as easy as possible. The Thumbzup Webwrapper utilises the merchant’s existing website to process card-present payments in-store, quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively.

“For online retailers, bringing your e-commerce solution in-store not only creates an omnichannel customer experience, but is also the fastest way to merge an online channel with a brick and mortar store,” says Saul Gorin, CEO of Thumbzup. “Up to now, however, most legacy retail point of sales solutions have not allowed for the integration of mobile capabilities. With so many consumers starting their buying journey online and then going in-store to collect their merchandise, retailers need to provide a consistent customer experience, regardless of the channel the consumer chooses.”

Gorin says the aim is to help the burgeoning e-commerce retail start-ups to participate in traditional brick and mortar retailing while still creating brand awareness and reach using the internet and social media.

For those looking to take their online business into physical stores, the Thumbzup Webwrapper is the most cost-effective solution. There is no need to invest in a new POS system and expensive hardware terminals. Yuppiechef was one of the first retailers to leverage Thumbzup’s cost-effective Webwrapper solution when it decided to move into the brick and mortar space. Yuppiechef remains a leader in its approach towards omnichannel and Thumbzup is proud to contribute to its strategy.

Merchants can thus leverage their e-commerce presence and use the solution to enable mPOS and card payments in-store. Card present payments mean more profit for the retailer, less risk from fraudsters, faster access to your money and a simpler payment process for your customers.

The Thumbzup Webwrapper supports both WooCommerce and Magento e-commerce implementations with Shopify coming soon.

“Globally, more and more consumers like to do their product research online and then buy in a physical store,” says Gorin. “To maximise this opportunity, it’s important for retailers to facilitate their customers’ shopping journeys as they move from one channel to the next, making it easy for them to purchase from you wherever they are.”