It is a big step to go from traditional brick and mortar shop to online shop, but it is not impossible. In fact, it is a necessary step to take for the growth of your business and the Zambian economy. If you’re worried about how to make this transition then you’ve probably thought about these questions. Rest assured that we’re here to guide you every step of the way. We’re working alongside you, solving the challenges as they arise.

Summary of frequently asked questions

Scroll down for your answers.

1. Ecommerce model

1. How does the Ecommerce model work?
2. Why should I adopt the Ecommerce model and become a Seller on thebestofzambia.com?
3. Why is an online shop on thebestofzambia.com better than receiving orders via Whatsapp?
4. What payment platforms do you support?
5. In view of the impact that COVID-19 has had on our supply chains, when should we set up our online shop on thebestofzambia.com?
6. How do I manage my stock levels with Ecommerce?
7. What advice do you have for record keeping and taxes when selling online through thebestofzambia.com?

2. Setting up my online shop

1. What do I need to do to become a Seller on thebestofzambia.com?
2. How much does it cost to be a Seller on thebestofzambia.com?
3. How many products can I list in my online shop?
4. What makes a good product description?
5. What’s the best way to send you my product information?
6. What makes a good product image?
7. What’s the best way to send you my product images?

3. Managing my content on my online shop

1. Can I login to make updates to my products in my online shop, such as price or stock changes?
2. How do I communicate product changes with you?
3. My prices change regularly, sometimes even daily, how can we ensure prices are accurate in my online shop?

4. Receiving an order

1. What happens when a customer orders from my shop on thebestofzambia.com?
2. What should I do when I receive an order?
3. How and when will I receive my money?

5. Managing delivery

1. What happens when someone buys from my shop on thebestofzambia.com and requests the items to be delivered?
2. How do I package an order for delivery?
3. How do I manage the delivery process effectively?

6. Managing Store Pickup

1. What happens when someone buys from my shop on thebestofzambia.com and requests a Store Pickup?
2. How do I package an order for a customer collection?
3. How long does the customer have to pick up their items?
4. What should I do if a customer comes to pick up the order before the collection period?
5. What should I do if the customer comes to collect their order during the collection period but we do not have the order ready for them?
6. What should I do if the customer comes to pick up their order after the collection period has expired?
7. How do I manage the Store Pickup process effectively?

7. Managing refunds

1. How should I process refunds?
2. What if a Buyer orders an item that is out of stock?
3. What kind of scenarios should I give a refund or exchange?

1. The Ecommerce model

1.1. How does the Ecommerce model work?

thebestofzambia.com serves as a platform, a piece of technology, that connects your business with people wanting to buy your products or services online. You provide the products and we provide the technology that enables people to view and pay for them online.

The Ecommerce model is a sales commission model rather than a distributor model.

We don’t become your distributor. We don’t hold your stock or bulk buy it at wholesale prices. We don’t decide what price to sell your products.

We do work in partnership to set up a new digital or virtual storefront for your business. This storefront is your online shop on thebestofzambia.com, rather than a physical brick and mortar shop. You decide what stock to put in your online shop and how much to charge.

When someone buys one of your products through our site you’ll get an automated email with all the details, so you can pick and pack the order ready for collection or delivery.

We will pay you for all products sold through thebestofzambia.com less our commission.

1.2. Why should I adopt the Ecommerce model and become a Seller on thebestofzambia.com?

Ecommerce is thriving in Western markets, as it is in African countries like Nigeria and Kenya and it is time that it thrived here in Zambia too.

Developing and launching your own online shop takes an extensive amount of time and/or budget, expertise and marketing.

In contrast, having an online shop on thebestofzambia.com means you can have your shop up and running in a few days. You’ll also benefit from the latest technology, constant free upgrades, our traffic and ten years worth of Search Engine Optimisation.

Let’s compare the two scenarios of developing your own online shop vs. an online shop on thebestofzambia.com

• Expensive upfront costs vs. affordable — small annual fee and commission based fees
• Requires expertise vs. no expertise needed, plus we’re here to help
• Takes time to set up vs. your online shop up and running in days
• Hard to get traffic to your site vs. access our traffic, Search Engine Optimisation and influence
• Technology can get old quickly vs. latest technology and free upgrades

1.3. Why is an online shop on thebestofzambia.com better than receiving orders via WhatsApp?

There are many businesses using WhatsApp to take orders from websites and social media accounts like Instagram and Facebook. In fact, since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we’ve seen more and more businesses take to WhatsApp. The steps businesses are taking are admirable. Businesses are showing a can-do attitude and doing their best with the systems they have available to them.

So why use an online shop like thebestofzambia.com when you can use WhatsApp for free? The problem with the WhatsApp order process:

• When using WhatsApp the customer journey is broken up into lots of different places. The customer has to view your products on your website, in a brochure or on your social media channel like Instagram.
• Your customer has to manually type out, copy and paste, or take screenshots of the items they want to order. They also have to keep switching from one app to another so they can message you via WhatsApp.
• You hope the customer gives enough of the right information for you to know exactly which product it is, otherwise the order process may become a frustrating and inefficient back-and-forth conversation.
  What colour/size/quantity do you want?Do you want brand x or y of coffee?Is that the 4 pack or 6 pack?
• Can you see how tedious this order process can get?
• You and your customer have to somehow come to an agreement on the final price. Then your customer has to go to another platform to make the payment. Then they have to screenshot the payment or supply a payment reference that you can track, in order for you to feel secure enough to ship the order for delivery.

Guys, there is a better way! When you set up an online shop on thebestofzambia.com, everything is in one smooth step-by-step process rather than a frustrating and disjointed multi platform system that requires manual data input and is prone to human error.

• The customer can view all your items, add to basket, pay and manage their collection and order in one place. They can easily view items by searching, sorting and filtering. They can easily add to basket, view their basket and pay by card or MTN Mobile Money.
• Nothing about the process requires them to manually do anything — everything is streamlined and simple.
• You will get an easy to understand automated email with all the details you need to pick, pack and deliver your customer’s order, including what they have ordered, the specific variations of the item (colour, size, quantities, etc), and their preferred option, Store Pickup or for the items to be delivered on your behalf.

thebestofzambia.com offers a smooth customer journey for the Buyer and an efficient process for both the Buyer and the Seller.

1.4. What payment platforms do you support?

We currently support VISA card and Mastercard bank cards, and MTN Mobile Money. We will integrate with Airtel Money and Zampay. We are also reviewing other payment systems with a view to ensuring people can make payments with their payment system of choice.

1.5. In view of the impact that COVID-19 has had on our supply chains, when should we set up our online shop on thebestofzambia.com?

Stock availability and supply chain challenges are very real concerns right now. However, we urge businesses to set up their online shop’s right now, despite that they may have smaller ranges than usual.

Your potential customers are not judging your range of products. They are not interested whether you can supply 1,000 products or 1 product. They are looking for what they want and need right now. If you can provide the one thing they need right now, they will love you for it.

If stock levels drop below a certain point or you run out, inform us and we will simply ‘drop’ the item down into your product catalogue until you tell us to put it back into the online shop. Your catalogue shows the full range of products you normally stock or which you can order for customers. Your online shop shows what products are currently in stock and which are available for immediate purchase, Store Pickup or delivery.

It takes time to set up your online shop with effective photos and product descriptions. So don’t let supply chain issues stop you from progressing, rather let us work with you to manage what stock shows as available for immediate purchase and what doesn’t.

1.6. How do I manage my stock levels with Ecommerce?

You only have to guarantee stock for a week’s worth of orders. And you’ll quickly see a pattern emerging in terms of volume of sales for particular items. So start off with a generous stock level and then see how sales go.

If stock levels drop below a certain point or you run out, inform us and we will simply ‘drop’ the item down into your product catalogue until you tell us to put it back into the online shop. Your catalogue shows the full range of products you normally stock or which you can order for customers. Your online shop shows what products are currently in stock and which are available for immediate purchase, Store Pickup or delivery.

There are many stock management systems ranging from a simple Excel spreadsheet to advanced retail inventory management software. Whichever systems you use, think of your online shop as just another branch which you allocate various levels of stock to. You can also move stock from one branch to another as supply and demand dictates.

1.7. What advice do you have for record keeping and taxes when selling online through thebestofzambia.com?

Record keeping — All orders placed and paid for through thebestofzambia.com will be emailed to you throughout the week. The total paid to you at the end of the week will be the total of these orders minus our commission. One way to simply enter these orders into your accounting system is to invoice us for the total, less the commission, recording the commission as a cost of sale or as a discount.

VAT — If you’re registered for VAT and the items are not VAT exempt, then the standard selling price you give us will need to include VAT. And you’ll need to record the VAT on the items you sell through thebestofzambia.com in the normal way. Nothing changes as this is your usual way of recording VAT.

Your taxes — Record and pay your taxes as normal. Prepare VAT returns and pay the VAT balance in the normal way. Include your online sales with your other sales figures for inclusion in monthly and annual accounts, for calculation of income tax.

2. Setting up my online shop on thebestofzambia.com

2.1. What do I need to do to become a Seller on thebestofzambia.com?

1. Sign our terms and conditions via an online form and digital signature.
2. Use our online form to send us your products, prices, descriptions and variations.
3. Use our online form to send us your bank details so we can pay you for the products that have sold through thebestofzambia.com in any given week.

2.2. How much does it cost to be a Seller on thebestofzambia.com?

• Existing clients — Set up is free for existing clients who have already paid their yearly subscription.
• New clients — A yearly subscription to advertise on thebestofzambia.com starts from K4,176 (including VAT) per year. This covers the cost of setting up and maintaining your business profile and online shop.
• 9% commission — This commission includes transaction fees, bank charges and the cost of advertising your products.

2.3. How many products can I list in my online shop?

As many as you like! We recommend listing as many as possible so we can give Buyers the range of products they want to buy online.

If you have thousands of products this process might seem daunting. We can help you work out where to start and how to manage the setup of your online shop.

Imagine you are talking to your customer about an item in store. What would you tell them? Remember they cannot experience your product with their live senses. They cannot see or touch it. If it’s a product that needs to be smelled or listened to, they cannot do this for real. So what do they need to know? Describe your product in detail. Give the specifications like size, volume, requirements for it to work and how to use it. Give them everything they need to know to buy and use your product. A more detailed article on this is coming soon.

2.5. What’s the best way to send you my product information?

For a smooth and accurate set up process, use the product list template spreadsheet we send you to house all the information we need like each product name, product reference, description, and variations such as colour or size.

2.6. What makes a good product image?

At the moment we can only show one product image. However, this will be updated soon and ideally, you want to show all elements of the product.

• Closeup shots showing the product details
• Distance shots showing the product in location (such as a pot in use on the stove)
• Lifestyle shots showing people your customer can relate to using the product.

A more detailed article on this is coming soon.

2.7. What’s the best way to send you my product images?

The most efficient way is through an image transfer service like Dropbox, Google Drive or WeTransfer. DropBox and Google Drive allow both parties to share folders so we can update the files as needed. Google Drive is our preferred option.

To ensure a smooth and accurate set up process, please make sure you clearly label your images with a product name or reference number that relates to the corresponding product description.

3. Managing my content on my online shop

3.1. Can I login to make updates to my products in my online shop, such as price or stock changes?

A client login system will be launching soon. We are likely to launch features in phases but ultimately, you will be able to log in to add or remove products to your shop, change prices, edit descriptions, add or remove pictures and check stats such as number of sales.

3.2. How do I communicate product changes with you?

Since we do not yet have a login in system, we will issue you with a product update spreadsheet that allows you to send us weekly stock and price updates. Daily price updates are an option if you give us your US Dollar prices.

3.3. My prices change regularly, sometimes even daily, how can we ensure prices are accurate in my online shop?

We have 3 options for you:

1. Give us a Kwacha price and we’ll charge in Kwacha
2. Give us a Dollar price and we’ll charge the customer in Dollars
3. Give us a Dollar price and we’ll charge the customer in Kwacha — we’ll do the conversion at the moment of sale so the conversion rate will be up to date. (This option is coming soon. As a temporary measure, if you choose this option we’ll update the conversion once a day).

4. Receiving an order

4.1. What happens when a customer orders from my shop on thebestofzambia.com?

You will receive an automated email with all the information you need to process it. The email contains,

• Item order list including description, variations like colour and size, quantity and price — what the customer has ordered will be very clear and easy to understand
• Order reference number
• Date the order was placed
• Delivery details if the customer opted for Delivery
• Collection location if the customer opted for Store Pickup
• Collection period for the customer or the delivery driver
• Handover instructions

4.2. What should I do when I receive an order?

When you receive an order email from thebestofzambia.com, follow the instructions in the email you will receive. You’ll need to pick and pack the item(s) ready for the customer or the delivery company to come and collect the order.

Picking and packing the order means to take the items from your warehouse or shop stock, and get it ready for transit — either safely and securely bagged ready for the client to collect, or sealed and labeled with the customer’s address details for delivery. The email will tell you whether it is an order for Store Pickup by the customer, or an order for the delivery company to pick up. You do not need to inform the delivery company. They will receive their own automated email about the order.

4.3. How and when will I receive my money?

We currently pay Sellers on a weekly basis via bank transfer. However, we will soon be automating this process. Let’s use the example of a product with a price tag of K500 and a delivery fee of K35.00. So that when someone buys the K500 item from your shop on thebestofzambia.com, K455 is automatically transferred to your bank account (K500 – 9% commission) and K35 is automatically transferred to the delivery company.

5. Managing delivery

5.1. What happens when someone buys from my shop on thebestofzambia.com and requests the items to be delivered?

When you receive an order email from thebestofzambia.com, follow the instructions in the email you will receive. You’ll need to pick and pack the item(s) ready for the delivery driver to pick up.

Picking and packing the order means to take the items from your warehouse or shop stock, and get it ready for transit — safely and securely sealed and labeled with the customer’s address details for delivery.

The delivery company will also receive an email with instructions for the delivery. To give you enough time to pick and pack they order, they will come to your shop within the specific collection period established when you set up your online shop.

When they come to collect the packages, for security, they will have ID to confirm they are from the delivery company and they will have a copy of the orders they are picking up.

Hand them the relevant packages.

There is no need to pay them for their services as we will pay the delivery company directly.

5.2. How do I package an order for delivery?

Pack the order safely and securely. Make sure the packaging is able to withstand knocks, tips and/or rough roads, by adding padding, a strong container and string or tape as required.

In addition the customer’s name, address, delivery instructions, order reference number and number of packages need to be very clearly labelled on all the packages. For example, 1 of 1, or 1 of 2 and 2 of 2. This ensures that the member of staff handing over the order ensures they give the correct number of packages to the delivery driver.

5.3. How do I manage the delivery process effectively?

When a customer places an order and selects the delivery option, it is your responsibility to ensure the items ordered are ready for the delivery driver to collect at the right time. To avoid dissatisfied customers, please do not give us pick up points that will be difficult to manage in the time periods we give customers.

Here’s how you can make the delivery process efficient for logistics partner companies and your customers:

• Have a large and clearly written sign above the collection point so customers can clearly see it
• Ensure staff are polite and trained in the collection process
• Ask the delivery driver for their ID and a copy of the orders they are collecting. Only give them the orders they have the paperwork for.
• Collect a name, signature and the first four digits of drivers Photo ID number.
• Record the item as collected
• Record the item for your stock purposes

6. Managing Store Pickup

6.1. What happens when someone buys from my shop on thebestofzambia.com and requests an Store Pickup?

When you receive an order email from thebestofzambia.com, follow the instructions in the email you will receive. You’ll need to pick and pack the item(s) ready for the customer collect from your store as they have requested.

Picking and packing the order means to take the items from your warehouse or shop stock, and get it ready for transit — safely and securely bagged ready for the client to collect.

6.2. How do I package an order for a customer collection?

Pack the order safely and securely. Do not over pack the bags so they are difficult to carry or are at risk of breaking. Do not under pack the bags so you are using too much unnecessary packaging and the customer has too many bags to carry. A good tip is that it mustn’t rattle when you shake it — to avoid breakages. Clearly label each package with the customer’s name, order reference number and number of packages for them to collect. For example, 1 of 1, or 1 of 2 and 2 of 2. This ensures that the member of staff handing over the order ensures they give the customer the full order.

6.3. How long does the customer have to pick up their items?

The customer has one week to collect their order. Their collection period is clearly stated on their order confirmation email.

6.4. What should I do if a customer comes to pick up the order before the collection period?

First check if the order is ready for collection despite their early arrival. The order may well be ready especially if it can be picked and packed from the same store. If it is not ready, you might be able to resolve this issue by getting their item(s) from the shop floor if they are available.

If not, politely explain that the order is not ready for collection because the customer has not allowed enough time for the order to be picked and packed. Remind them that their order email specifically outlines the collection period they should follow so that your business has enough time to pick, pack and sometimes transfer the order to the right collection point. Ask the customer to return during the collection period outlined in their order confirmation email.

6.5. What should I do if the customer comes to collect their order during the collection period but we do not have the order ready for them?

The best thing to do is to apologise for the error and inconvenience and do everything you can to resolve the situation immediately.

Maybe there is a known issue like the breakdown of a vehicle bringing goods in that morning. Maybe you can phone the picking and packing team or check if the items are on the store shelves. When the customer has seen you try and resolve the problem as quickly as possible, they may be more inclined to work with you rather than against you!

If you can’t easily provide them with their order, then apologise and ask them to come back after a certain time.

Other options are to give them a discount for the inconvenience or offer to have their order delivered to them for free (you would pay the delivery company). How you deal with customers in these difficult situations may be one way that your brand can stand out and make a positive name for itself.

6.6. What should I do if the customer comes to pick up their order after the collection period has expired?

We understand that you can’t hold on to orders indefinitely, so you are only obliged to hold items for customers until the end of the last day of the collection period.

However, you may still be contacted by the customer who may come to the collection point. Despite the customer not respecting the collection period, we ask that your team is as polite and helpful as possible. Sometimes the customer will have valid reasons for being late.

If you still have their order waiting for them or if you still have the items in stock then simply follow the normal handover process. Please remind the customer to respect the collection period next time.

If you no longer have the items in stock then we ask that you offer a similar alternative product, process a refund or offer a gift voucher at your discretion.

When offering a similar alternative product, it might be a cheaper or more expensive product. You don’t have to refund the difference for the cheaper product but you may want to offer to do so. For a more expensive alternative product you can ask the customer to pay the difference.

You don’t have to refund the customer’s order or offer them a gift voucher, but you can choose to do so. Obviously, this will mean a more positive relationship between the customer and your brand. How you deal with customers in these difficult situations may be one way that your brand can stand out and make a positive name for itself.

6.7. How do I manage the Store Pickup process effectively?

When a customer places an order and selects a collection point you have provided, it is your responsibility to ensure the items ordered are at the right collection point at the right time. To avoid dissatisfied customers, please do not give us pick up points that will be difficult to manage in the time periods we give customers.

Here’s how you can make the collection process efficient for the customer:

• Have a large and clearly written sign above the collection point so customers can clearly see it
• Ensure staff are polite and trained in the collection process
• Ask customers for the correct order reference and a valid Photo ID like an NRC, Passport or Driving License
• To protect your business from fraudulent collections, ensure the individual’s facial features and the details you collect match their Photo ID
• Collect a name, signature and the first four digits of their Photo ID number.
• Record the item as collected
• Record the item for your stock purposes

7. Managing refunds

7.1. How should we process refunds?

To initiate a refund within 7 days of the fulfilment of the order, notify the Buyer and ourselves. At this point, we will not yet have paid you for the orders made through thebestofzambia.com so we will then raise a refund for the Buyer. However, please note that the cost incurred in processing the Buyer’s payment will be charged to the Seller.

If a Buyer requests a refund more than 7 days after the fulfilment of the order, then you will have received payment for the item(s) from us. Therefore the Buyer will need to liaise directly with you about their refund and you will need to process the refund.

7.2. What if a Buyer orders an item that is out of stock?

This situation will only happen if you do not update us about your stock levels or if you have a sudden spike in demand. We ask that you use our product updates form and review and update us on your stock levels weekly. If an item sells faster than normal you’ll just need to let us know as soon as possible.

If despite our best efforts an item is ordered that is out of stock, notify the Buyer and ourselves. We will then raise a refund for the Buyer. Note that you will be liable for the cost incurred in processing the Buyer’s refund payment.

7.3. What kind of scenarios should I give a refund or exchange?

There are many situations when the customer asks for a refund. The customer is entitled to a refund in certain situations so long as they get in touch within 7 days of their purchase. Here are some examples:

• They accidentally order two of the same item — could be classed as their fault, but it would be nice to refund it if they ask
• The customer accidentally orders the wrong colour — could be classed as their fault, but it would be nice to refund it if they ask
• The customer buys the wrong size. Note that it is quite difficult to assess the size of something when buying online so this might be the most common reason that customers return an item. This is especially true for clothes and furniture items. This is easily fixable by swapping to the right size if you have it in stock or helping the customers find the right alternative product. If this can’t be resolved then process a refund. The smoother this process is the more likely this customer will gain trust in your brand and become a returning customer.
• The customer buys an item they aren’t sure of online and chooses to pickup Store Pickup so they can confirm before they leave the shop. This is a valid way to do online shopping. Simply process the refund or arrange an exchange. The smoother this process is the more likely this customer will gain trust in your brand and become a returning customer.
• The item is faulty — if the item is faulty then follow your standard faulty or guarantee procedure.

Still have a question?

If we have not answered you question then please let us know. You can send a Whatsapp message to +260 955 051035 or email us on marketing@thebestofzambia.com.

Become a Seller today

So, now we’ve answered all your questions, why not become a Seller on thebestofzambia.com? Remember that we’re here to guide you and make this work!