Disclaimer:
Please be aware that the content herein has not been peer reviewed. It consists of personal reflections, insights, and learnings of the contributor(s). It may not be exhaustive, nor does it aim to be authoritative knowledge.
DESCRIPTION: What did you observe, or what did people write or say?
A vendor of the self-emerged but currently formalized bazaar is using Viber messenger to showcase the products that cannot be presented immediately in the 'showroom'.
NEED: What need does this answer?
Adopting Viber as a platform to advertise goods is a cheap and fast way for small and micro-businesses to retain the costumers and compete with large e-commerce platforms. Many vendors at the bazaar cannot afford a laptop and membership of the e-commerce platform, nor preparing a catalog of the goods they sell. This is when free texting apps come in handy. These apps run on the cheapest smartphones and do not require specific digital skills, nor knowledge of the language, which is an issue in the case of ethnic minorities that represent a large share of the labor force of the bazaar.
INSIGHTS: What lessons can be learned from this observation?
As e-commerce takes a greater share in the economy, it becomes crucial for vendors to develop new tools to run the business. It is especially true now, during the Covid-19 pandemic, since costumers avoid going to the crowding bazaars. Free texting apps coupled with the cheapest smartphone can create a system that would allow the most vulnerable vendors to stay in the business and retain jobs.
1No poverty
8Decent work and economic growth
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