Late last year, Massmart acquired an 87.5% stake in OneCart in line with the Game and Makro owner's strategy to invest in and accelerate its e-commerce presence and on-demand delivery capabilities. Since the acquisition, OneCart has experienced exponential gross merchandise value (GMV) growth of over 200%.
“We are really pleased to be able to leverage OneCart for mutual benefit at Massmart through this expansion, given the high priority that Massmart has placed on on-demand e-commerce at Game, Makro and Builders,” says Lynton Peters, founder and CEO of OneCart.
OneCart was launched in 2018 as South Africa’s first on-demand multi-retailer marketplace – allowing customers to shop over 20 product categories from up to 12 retailers, depending on a customer’s location, in one convenient transaction and delivery.
Through its partnership with Massmart, OneCart currently offers customers access to 28 Game and 12 Makro stores – allowing them to shop over 10,000 products across multiple categories, including pantry items, liquor, toys, baby products and small appliances. These orders are delivered within one hour or in a specific time slot chosen by the customer.
Peters notes that OneCart’s vision is to represent every retailer within a 10km radius of all their customers – ensuring the South African consumer is able to shop for all their needs from their local store or shopping centre on the platform. With this in mind, he reinforces that OneCart continues to focus on increasing the number of products and retailers available on the app.
“OneCart’s business model is becoming increasingly relevant for both retailers and consumers as convenience and time become new currencies. As retailers seek new growth opportunities and access to new customers, a fast, low-cost online presence is invaluable,” he says.
Speaking to the platform's customer value proposition, Peters explains that consumers love the optionality that comes from using a multi-retailer platform that serves as a one-stop-shop, without the hassle of having to download multiple, stand-alone apps.
“A typical OneCart order could easily involve a diverse product selection that includes your weekly or monthly groceries, a case of wine or beer, a new drill for that spontaneous DIY project, beauty products, and nappies and baby food,” he says.
While OneCart acts as an alternative customer channel for some of the country’s most established brands, including Woolworths, Pick n Pay and Clicks, Peters points out that the platform is also a direct-to-consumer channel for smaller, emerging retailers and SMEs entering the online market
