SHAPE Magazine 1 / 2013 - SCA

Booming
e-commerce
in South Africa
In South Africa, incontinence products are not
easily accessible, and they are also diffi cult to
distribute. This means opportunities for TENA,
SCA’s brand for incontinence care.
text SUSANNA LINDGREN photo GETTY IMAGES
E-COMMERCE IS BOOMING in South
Africa, growing at a rate of 30 percent a
year, mainly in consumer products. In
November 2012 TENA launched its latest
web shop in South Africa, where incontinence
is still a taboo topic.
“E-commerce enables discreet shopping,”
says Carolina Liljendal, eBusiness
manager at SCA. “Visiting our web shop
makes it possible to privately check out
our full range of products in peace and
quiet, which is very important for many
of our consumers. It’s essential to realize
that e-commerce is an important sales
channel in itself today, and not just a complement.”
The lack of a state reimbursement system
means that individuals are responsible
for their healthcare-related spending.
Incontinence is a fairly new category
in the South African retail market, and
products are not easy accessible or well
distributed in the country.
“We are seeing great interest from consumers
who are purchasing for their
relatives living in long-term care facilities
and very often in diff erent provinces,”
says Jana Joeaas, commercial director in
South Africa.
SOUTH AFRICA has very few geographically
consolidated retirement regions where
people move when they reach retirement
age. TENA’s web shop gives people access
to discreet shopping and convenient
delivery so they don’t have to travel vast
distances.
As few people in South Africa have
access to a home computer, most
electronic communication is done via
smartphones, including shopping. Social
networks off er one channel for promoting
the web shop, but equally important are
traditional brochures handed out by local
doctors, giving step-by-step instructions
on how to order online.
TENA WEB SHOPS
SCA INSIDE
TENA currently has 14 web
shops targeted to consumers in
Europe and Africa. The concept
is the same regardless of location.
By fi lling out a short questionnaire,
consumers receive
suggestions for the products
most suitable to their needs.
Their purchases will be shipped
in anonymous brown boxes.
The UK and Finland are so
far the biggest markets for
the TENA web shops.
But e-business is
expanding, and
European sales are
expected to grow by
25 percent a year.
Usage of
mobile devices
is increasing,
and this is a
trend that TENA is also experiencing.
To meet this need TENA
will launch a responsive site
this year.
Responsive web design is
crafted to provide an optimal
viewing experience across a
wide range of devices such as
PC, tablets and mobile phones.
SCA SHAPE 1 2013 43