As aptly described by the age-old adage, “Two heads are better than one,” the concept underscores the profound significance of collaboration, especially in the realm of ecommerce.

At its core, building strategic partnerships provides companies with leeway to leverage the complementary capabilities of like-minded institutions — granting small, medium, and large organisations alike the access they need to expand to new markets, harness avant-garde infrastructure to meet overarching goals and targets, as well as a safety net to reduce risks.

In the vast landscape of ecommerce, where competition is fierce and consumer expectations continue to evolve, success is not just about having a great product or a sleek website anymore.

It is about forging strategic partnerships that amplify strengths, drive sustainable growth, and address consumers’ needs.

The digital realm is evolving at breakneck speed, and in this ever-changing landscape, collaboration emerges as the linchpin for success.

A recent study conducted by IBM’s Institute for Business Value revealed that 54% of executives view strategic partnerships as critical for their organisation’s digital transformation efforts.

In addition, a report by Kearney, a global consulting firm, highlights that well-executed strategic partnerships can create sustained value for both brands and consumers.

As these statistics highlight the impact of strategic partnerships: How can eCommerce platforms leverage collaborative initiatives to meet evolving consumer needs?

Collaborations to broaden the eCommerce Ecosystem

Take the case of Jumia Nigeria, the leading pan-African ecommerce platform. Since its inception, Jumia has been at the forefront of innovation, continuously striving to enhance the shopping experience for millions of customers across Nigeria.

Yet, in an industry marked by rapid evolution and ever-changing consumer preferences, staying ahead requires more than just ingenuity – it demands collaboration.

In recent years, Jumia Nigeria has embarked on a journey of strategic partnerships, forging alliances with a diverse array of stakeholders ranging from local businesses to global brands.

These partnerships have not only expanded Jumia’s product offerings but have also enriched its ecosystem, offering customers unparalleled choice and convenience.

A good reference point is its partnership with leading manufacturers and brands like Adidas, Infinix, Oraimo, Binatone, Haier Thermocool, Diageo, and Nivea.

These brands have official stores on Jumia where consumers can get easy access to their favourite products, and the brands offer special promotions to reward their consumer base for their loyalty.

Another strategic move by the company to further enhance customer satisfaction is its partnership with Mastercard and Providus Bank to introduce the Jumia Mastercard, an innovative payment card that elevates the shopping experience of its customers.

Through this partnership, the company introduced a customer reward system which will serve to multiply purchasing power and foster lasting customer loyalty on Jumia’s platform throughout the year.

With these partnerships, Jumia provides customers with access to the latest products while enabling the company to expand its market presence and attract new customers.

In another thoughtful partnership, Jumia partnered with Starlink to deliver the satellite terminals and kits in Nigeria and Kenya, deepening broadband connectivity in African communities.

Through this partnership, Starlink was able to harness Jumia’s elaborate delivery network to expand its reach in Africa.

Companies such as Jumia understand that building strategic partnerships is not just about the numbers; it is about creating a powerful ecosystem of collaboration that fuels mutual growth and customer satisfaction.

When done right, partnerships forged will transform the ecommerce landscape and empower customers.

Together, companies can rewrite the rules of success and create a future where strategic partnership can be a cornerstone for business growth.

Incogni’s researchers found that customers, to claim the benefits offered by such apps, often end up bearing additional costs by sharing their personal and sensitive information including, in some instances, sexual orientation and health information.

Among the highest-valued brands, Nike and H&M stand out by collecting a significant number of data points, including photos, videos, and messages, while PUMA, Under Armour, The North Face, and again H&M were identified as sharing an alarming volume of sensitive data with third parties.

Fashion retailers and online clothing stores frequently encourage users to opt for their official apps, often luring them with attractive discounts, bonuses, or exclusive offers. While it’s expected for online purchases to involve the collection of some personal data, like names, addresses, and payment details, to proceed with the order, Incogni’s research uncovered a more worrying trend. Shoppers are unknowingly parting with sensitive information such as sexual orientation and contact lists, which are sometimes not only collected but also shared with third parties.

Incogni’s researchers carefully examined the practices of the most popular apparel shopping apps from 59 countries, including those of the top-valued apparel brands in 2023, totaling 180 apps. The study focused on data-collection and sharing practices, scrutinizing the reasons provided by app developers for acquiring specific types of data.

The researchers also identified which data points were optional, allowing consumers to retain control over at least some sensitive information.

The study’s key findings reveal a concerning landscape: 45 out of 180 investigated apps collect photos (including Nike, H&M, Victoria’s Secret, and Moncler), 12 apps collect videos (including Nykaa, Vinted, and Meesho), 9 apps collect search history (including Victoria’s Secret and Puma), and 6 apps collect information on sexual orientation (Showniq – AI Stylist Của Bạn, Nike SNKRS: Shoes & Streetwear, Instreet, Boots TH, Pantaloons-Online Shopping App, and Zalando).

Among these apps, 24 share photos (including Adidas) with third parties, 2 share sexual orientation (Showniq – AI Stylist Của Bạn and Pantaloons-Online Shopping App), and 1 app (Myntra – Fashion Shopping App) shares health information.

The highest number of data points are collected and shared by the most popular apps from customers in Oceania (15.9 and 8.7 data points, respectively), Europe (14.2 and 9 data points), and North America (12.3 and 8.1 data points).

The most popular apps by valuation, i.e.: Nike, H&M, The North Face, Adidas, Victoria’s Secret, Moncler, Under Armour, PUMA, Levi’s, and UNIQLO US, on average collect 14.4 data points, and share an average of 8.5 data points from the following categories: location, personal info, financial info, health and fitness, messages, photos and videos, audio files, files and docs, app activity, web browsing, app info and performance, and device and other IDs.

Notably, 2 out of the 10 most popular apps are also found among the 10 most data-collecting apps. Nike and H&M collect 18 data points each and are tied for the 7th most data-collecting app with 4 other apps.

These apps share a concerning amount of personally identifiable and otherwise sensitive data with third parties, including email addresses and phone numbers, for the purposes of advertising or marketing.

“While we understand that some of these data points are collected to improve the shopping experience or process orders, some seem to go beyond what’s necessary to provide the service. This is especially concerning given the presence of some questionable data-sharing practices and the increasing number of data breaches. Collected data, including sensitive information, might end up in the public domain in the aftermath of a breach. We urge consumers to be cautious about the data they share and call for greater transparency in app data-collection practices”, – underlines Darius Belejevas, Head of Incogni.

Incogni’s researchers used the rankings provided by AppMagic (in the Shopping: Fashion & Beauty category) to find the most popular apps in 59 countries. For each country, they noted the top 10 popular free apps in the category for the year 2023.

App names and their rankings were noted on December 18th. Our researchers separately identified the top apparel brands by valuation,² filtering for those brands that offer apps facilitating purchases.

These brands’ apps were added to the list for investigation, bringing the total number of studied apparel apps to 180.

Incogni’s researchers went on to collect information found in the data safety sections of the Google Play Store pages of the identified apps.

The information was aggregated on country and regional bases for some analyses. Data collection from the Google Play Store took place on December 19th.

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This year’s campaign, aptly tagged ‘Let Your Pocket Breathe,’ is a declaration of Jumia’s unwavering commitment to helping consumers access quality products at the best prices, even in the face of soaring inflation.

Beyond that, it’s an opportunity to empower small and medium-sized enterprises while connecting renowned brands with millions of Nigerian consumers through the online platform.

The campaign, which kicks off on Friday, November 3rd, 2023, will run till Thursday, November 30th, 2023.

During this month-long shopping event, consumers across Nigeria can expect massive discounts across different product categories, ranging from electronics, phones, fashion, beauty, home appliances, and much more. In addition, this year’s Jumia Black Friday is in partnership with top brands such as Xiaomi, Diageo, Oraimo, Nivea, Adidas, Haier Thermocool, Pernod Ricard, Chi Limited, Infinix, Tecno, Bacardi, Defacto, LeDrop, Binatone, and Itel

“We are thrilled to commence our annual Black Friday event, a shopping event that has become a staple in the hearts of Nigerians. We fully understand the constraints faced by today’s consumers – the desire for quality products that are still affordable. This year’s theme reflects our unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional deals to our cherished consumers, granting them the freedom to enjoy top-tier products and services without straining their finances. As we embark on the 10th edition of our Black Friday campaign, we are delighted to have partnered with some of the most renowned household brands and small and medium-sized enterprises to deliver the best offers to consumers,” stated Massimiliano Spalazzi, CEO, Jumia Nigeria.

The Black Friday campaign, now a household name in Nigeria, was first introduced in the country and Africa in 2014 by Jumia. This annual commercial event continues to grow in popularity, playing a pivotal role in promoting nationwide e-commerce adoption. It also reaffirms Jumia’s commitment to providing a convenient and dependable online shopping experience.

“We are delighted to partner with Jumia for this year’s Black Friday event. We are rolling out the best deals and discounts on a wide range of our products from the Xiaomi series, Xiaomi T series, Redmi Note Series to our Redmi Series. We are aware of the current economic challenge in the country, which is why we are offering our customers the best prices and fantastic offers this season. At Xiaomi, we remain committed to providing Nigerians with smart and innovative technology for a better life,” stated Bright Okere, Communication and Strategy Manager, Xiaomi Nigeria.

The campaign will feature Treasure Hunt, Brand Days, Flash Sales and Jumia Games, where consumers can win exciting prizes and get further discounts on several products. In addition, there would be free shipping on a wide range of products to consumers within Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, Warri, Benin, Abeokuta, Akure, and Port Harcourt.

The move paves the way for millions of users to officially begin tokenizing their physical activity within the Sweat Economy ecosystem, adding momentum to the burgeoning global movement economy.

Sweat Economy enters these new markets with the overwhelming support of its community, who participated in a historic vote, with over 380K users deciding to burn and reallocate idle tokens to support the current launch effort. Sweat Economy builds on the success of the massively popular Sweatcoin app that launched in 2015.

As one of the pioneers of the move-to-earn phenomenon, Sweatcoin quickly amassed more than 140 million registered users and became the most downloaded health app in over 60 countries.

Sweat Economy represents the latest evolution of this story, to accelerate the mainstream adoption of Web3 technologies at the intersection of tokenization, health, and crypto.

Sweat Economy revolutionizes movement using a unique passive reward system. By leveraging the Sweatcoin application in tandem, users can verify their movement–tokenizing their physical activity.

As a reward, users can mint $SWEAT, a token on the NEAR Protocol positioning Sweat Economy as one of the largest Web3 on-ramps in history, with millions of existing Sweatcoin users being onboarded onto Sweat Wallet.

By choosing to build on NEAR, Sweat Economy will be well placed to leverage the protocol’s incredibly secure and infinitely scalable sharding infrastructure–unlocking the opportunity to onboard millions of potential users into a burgeoning Web3 movement economy.

Once onboarded into Sweat Wallet, users can mint $SWEAT by engaging in physical activities. Accrued $SWEAT can then be used in various ways, including deposited into “Growth Jars” to be saved and multiplied, and unlock exclusive rewards within the ecosystem.

Users can also compete in the free-to-play Sweat Hero NFT game to win additional $SWEAT, while also having the option to purchase $SWEAT in-app using the MoonPay fiat on-ramp.

In just a few months, $SWEAT has become the 9th most held¹ and the 13th most actively used token² in the world prior to this expansion–having also established a deflationary status following the community’s decision to burn 1.8 billion unclaimed $SWEAT.

Oleg Fomenko, co-founder of Sweat Economy said:

“We are thrilled to finally bring the Sweat Economy experience to the United States and 8 other markets. We are excited that residents of these countries will also be able to–literally–WALK INTO CRYPTO. Our global community of users has been instrumental in supporting this launch and we are thankful for their participation in the biggest ever governance vote that allocated nearly 700 million $SWEAT to the new community members in consideration for their verified physical activity. By expanding into these markets, we aim to inspire a new wave of physical activity and incentivize individuals to lead healthier lives, while paving the way for the next billion users looking to participate in the movement economy.

Chris Donovan, CEO of the NEAR Foundation, said:

“It’s incredible to see the progress of Sweat Economy as it enables us to achieve our mission to bring millions into the open web.  As an industry leader in tokenizing physical activity, Sweat Economy’s launch into the U.S. represents a major milestone not just for the project, but for the entire NEAR ecosystem. It also demonstrates the incredible scalability of the NEAR Protocol, which has been able to seamlessly support one of the largest consumer apps in Web3 operating at significant scale.”

Communities are undergoing a significant transformation as individuals seek innovative ways to stay motivated and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Sweat Economy’s unique approach, combining fitness tracking with blockchain technology, brings an exciting and refreshing perspective to this space.

By rewarding users for their physical activity, Sweat Economy not only encourages people to exercise more but also creates a vibrant and engaged group of like-minded people.

Sweatcoin has 140M+ users, who are 20% more active after downloading the app. It has 800+ brand partners including the likes of Adidas, Paramount, Fabletics, Amazon, and Garmin who provide exclusive discounts, offers, and free products in exchange for sweatcoins plus over 100 charity partners who have benefited from Sweatcoin donations.

Interested individuals can download the Sweatcoin app and Sweat Wallet from the App Store or Google Play Store and become part of a thriving ecosystem that values health, fitness, and progress.

VAR Technology