How has ecommerce transformed

the sharing economy?The on-demand

economy continues to grow at an accelerating pace as a result of constant development in the technological sphere. The GCC region is expected to see substantial growth within the next five years as the need for fast and convenient services is becoming

more and more important while making purchasing decisions. This creates a number of opportunities for SME’s and start-ups to provide the consumer with a complete end-end experience that adds value throughout the entire process.

Companies in the ecommerce industry like Cary! have capitalized on the opportunities created by the on-demand economy and have found ways to satisfy the needs of their consumers by making use of business models that are based

on the principles of the collaborative economy.

Initially, the market was hesitant towards the new shift of an on-demand business structure and everything that came with it. It took nearly four years for the North American market to see a positive reaction and an increase in demand for services within the sharing economy. Sharing transactions have grown by 20% in only the US within this timeframe and we continue to see how

Cary! UaE’s onlinE markEtplaCE sans thE pEsky ads

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With several ecommerce stores folloWing alibaba’s footsteps, cary! chooses to create an online marketplace Without advertisements. mohammed Johmani, co-

founder of cary! points out Why his online marketplace is a boon to the uae.

digital disruption

various businesses are expanding into the collaborative economy sector while catering to a wider variety of markets. Examples of these include personal and professional services, hospitality and transportation.

The sharing economy is here to stay. Today, it’s impressive that companies have come up with concepts using technology for value-added experiences, tomorrow it would no longer be an exception but rather expected from businesses. Companies that choose to embrace this by adopting their business models and market strategies would not only benefit greatly, but are expected to grow their market share substantially going forward.

Reality tells us that the new normal is mobile-enabled, on-demand, customized product and services and companies need to implement this in their approach.

• How is Cary!, as an online marketplace, eliminating a pain point encountered by consumers?

There are two features that will be implemented as our USP as a service provider. The first- listed items will not be more than 30 miles from the end-user. The second is a safety and convenience feature that enables Cary! to receive payments on behalf of the seller. Once we receive payment from the buyer, we ensure a smooth transaction without any payment errors. Users will still have the option of handling the entire transaction offline without Cary! as the main intermediary.

As a result of expansion we have included the process of integrating third party APIs to manage delivery to make sure our users don’t have to worry about the delivery process.

• What makes Cary! stand out amidst the swarm of such online

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platforms prevalent in the market?

When we started off with Cary! the decision was to create an innovative platform, different to our competitors in the market. The vision was to make the experience seamless and fun for the end-user so that they recurrently use the services of Cary! , and share their experience within their social network.

We have decided to be an online market-place without any ads and that will never change. Cary! creates a buying experience offering an end-to-end service, connecting the buyer and seller on a platform that takes care of all their needs including payment and delivery.

• What role does technology play in shaping Cary!?

Cary! successfully leveraged technology in its business structure - we don’t own any inventory and we remain the facilitator, offering a technology-rich platform which is both user friendly and fun to use. Smartphones tablets and other communication devices have created an on-demand marketplace with end-users expecting easy, simple and quick ways of purchasing and they’ve provided transaction instruments

that never leave our side. Technology today opens up for new

platforms to fill the gaps missing in the market and society, i.e. twitter allows us to know what our friends and peers are thinking and feeling in real time. Tablets and mobiles are taking off beyond expectations that the industry had few years back, and people are starting to use smaller devices such as the iWatch for communications and browsing. Although, customers are actively shopping through laptops and tablets, applications that are feasible through these technologies are creating a bigger impact on companies, who are organising themselves to be able to provide easy access to the shopping experience. Cary! has to stay up-to-date with recent technological advancements entering the market to always keep visitors engaged.

Mohammed Johmani, CEO and Founder

digital disruption