Fahim, a resident of Dumuria Upazila in Khulna, has no big shopping mall near his village. If people in his village want to buy a phone or any other product of a renowned brand, they have to go to the Upazila Sadar, far from the village. But for the past four-five months, the villagers did not have to go to the market for shopping. Because all the products people usually buy from big shopping malls are now available in their local small shops.
But how are the services of shopping malls are now within the reach of these people in the rural areas?? Fahim, a young resident of this village, tells us his story. He said, “Due to the covid pandemic situation, there are limited opportunities to go to shopping malls in the city to buy goods which is a great concern for most of the villagers as they won’t be able to buy many necessary goods. But because of Shopoth, the scenario has changed. Many villagers including I can order any product at nearby Shopoth Agent stores at the company’s price and get delivery within 72 hours of ordering.” He also said that they are getting products like phones, routers, kitchen appliances, and many other useful products easily from Shopoth Agents. There is little room for mistrust as the customers have the option to pay cash on delivery. If there is any valid problem later, they can easily return the product and get a refund. This is how people in rural areas are availing the benefits of a reliable e-commerce service which were previously only available in more developed cities.
Shopoth is the first omnichannel service of Agami Limited. The management team of Shopoth says that their platform is designed to benefit rural people and improve their quality of life. Shopoth.com has started its journey on 31st January 2021 in Narsingdi and the greater Khulna region. They are serving people in many remote areas. Most people in the village do not own a smartphone and have no access to the internet. That’s why Shopoth provided digital tabs in the neighborhood shops so that the villagers don’t have to go anywhere and can purchase renowned brand products, which are available in Dhaka, right here at the company’s price. Shopoth has taken the responsibility of creating online and offline correspondence for people in rural areas. This connection has been built not only in towns but also in rural remote areas. Shopoth has already established its business in many remote areas and gradually it will start in 400 other Thanas across the country. Via Shopoth, the buyers order the goods in the neighborhood shops, and the goods are delivered to the same shops, known as Shopoth Agent Stores. The buyer receives the product from the retailer without any delivery charge. If the product does not meet their expectations, they can easily return it to the store and get the full refund without any hassle of a long process or having to make multiple phone calls.
Sarajit Baral, the CEO of Shopoth, said, “Even though our initiative is small at the moment, our dream is much bigger than this. We are now working in all the districts, Upazilas of greater Khulna, and all the villages of Narsingdi. We will expand our business and services across the country very soon.” He also said that people are getting various products of various brands at fair prices. The Shopoth team is also going to the field and buying products directly from the farmers. Customers can buy products from our website or Facebook page. Shopoth’s CEO Sarajit Baral said in an open seminar, “We have made the process of online purchase easier while delivering products at customers’ doorsteps. The customers are receiving calls from our customer care center within minutes of texting on the messenger of our Facebook page for any query, problem, or even to place the order. Those who do not have an internet connection can order products from Shopoth Agents directly. The buyer only needs to choose the product from the digital catalog and the retailer will place an order on behalf of the buyers. The buyer will receive the delivery very fast, without any extra delivery charge.”
Shopoth is trying to bring people from remote areas to our digital ecosystem. Shopoth wants to establish trust among people regarding digital services by providing original products at a fair price within the promised timeline. At the same time, it commits to minimizing the service inequality between big cities and remote areas through the convenience of digital technology.