Problem
The e-commerce in the MENA region is rapidly growing but this growth is hindered and challenged by lack of consumer trust in the retail industry; therefore, it is vital to address those obstacles.
Role: Design Researcher
Timeline: 5 months
Design Team: This is an individual project.
The Challenge
To use design management methods to innovate the retail industry and enhance consumer trust in the MENA region.
The Solution
A strategic growth, development, and logistics tool kit for retailers that will help enhance consumer trust in the MENA region to increase online engagement. The toolkit will connect like-minded retailers and customers from all over the region for a safer and trusted e-commerce personalized experience.
The Process
01
Research Planning and Positioning
This research will be primarily qualitative in nature because it will stimulate the process of improving consumer trust. Utilizing secondary research to gather current data and to see what competitors in the retail industry are doing to gain consumer trust is vital. Primary research will be crucial knowing the cause as well as challenges this issue has brought up in the region. Conducting interviews with customers and individuals in the industry will be helpful to analyze and framing solutions for the benefit of the industry in the region and hopefully taken advantage of in other industries.
Secondary Research Summary and ‘Aha’ Moments
In my secondary research, I was highly interested in knowing what the biggest markets in the region are and how they reach their online customer as well as knowing who the biggest retailers in the MENA region are and their growth potential.
I realized that the biggest e-commerce markets such as China, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and Japan established a healthy environment for growth; moreover, have targeted the right audience. Then a question was raised about how and I found out that those markets are thriving because they focused on two important factors which are mobile shopping and mobile payment apps. When it came to the audience, the focus was mainly on age groups between 18 to 44 years old.
But what makes the two top contenders different? It comes down to the value provided to the customer and the personalized experience provided with those online purchases. I believe that this is where consumer trust is built.
Trying to find correlation and where the MENA region customer base stands, I found out that there are some big international and local brands that are finding it hard to build consumer trust and grow at the same rate as the other regions because of the privacy concerns and lack of personalized customer service and experience.
Value Proposition
For consumers in the Middle East and North Africa region who want shop online and feel safe sharing their payment information, have high-quality customer service as well as cheap and fast shipment options.
Our goal is to make it easy and safe for customers to buy their favorite products from international and local middle eastern and north African retail brands. We do this by providing transparent cyber security information, product quality transparency with real reviews and testimonials, high-quality customer service for the consumer’s convenience, and a complete user experience that is personalized from pre-product to post-product purchase.
Unlike current e-commerce websites and private social media pages, (our) the designed solution is oriented to make it easier for customers and retail businesses to carry their in-person experience to an online platform through their shared values of payment information security, high-quality products, and user experience.
How might we use design management methods to increase consumer trust in the MENA region retail industry?
02
Primary Research
After completing my user group primary research, I now have a better understanding of my distinct stakeholder groups. I also have a clearer picture of the demand for my chosen market space and what my user groups see as potential threats as well as opportunities of improvement on consumer trust in the MENA region. The in-depth interviews have proven that indeed there is consumer mistrust when it comes to e-commerce platforms. They barley use online payment methods when purchasing orders online; moreover, have problems with shipment and quality of products and usually use a middleman to purchase their desired items. It will take time to educate consumers and retailers about e-commerce benefits and with doing that there needs to be, as Kozman said, “a focus on the benefits for the consumers” and as mentioned by Ghaly, “...highlighting the value proposition.”
Survey Summary and Insights
The process of conducting surveys from potential users allowed me to identify user insights as well as patterns around both gains and pain points within the main user group.. Survey responses provided valuable demographic information which helped shape the main pains of the user and where improvements are needed. With a total of 89 respondents, I was able to frame the problem better and take the pain points and form them into questions for more insight in the in-depth interviews.
Survey Summary and Insights
After completing my user group primary research, I now have a better understanding of my distinct stakeholder groups. I also have a clearer picture of the demand for my chosen market space and what my user groups see as potential threats as well as opportunities for improvement on consumer trust in the MENA region. The in-depth interviews have proven that indeed there is consumer mistrust when it comes to e-commerce platforms. They barley use online payment methods when purchasing orders online; moreover, have problems with shipment and quality of products and usually use a middleman to purchase their desired items. It will take time to educate consumers and retailers about e-commerce benefits and with doing that there needs to be, as Kozman said, “a focus on the benefits for the consumers” and as mentioned by Ghaly, “...highlighting the value proposition.”
Summary of Finidings
Primary research data collected in online surveys and in-depth interviews are affinitized. After affinitizing and going through the data, I realized that those are the main ideas to expand on in the next few steps.
Journey Maps
Data Processes and Analysis
By arranging and affinitizing research data on the working wall, ideas and opportunities started to merge and gaps between pain points and gain points started to exist.
The summary of findings would provide an overview of the Primary research data collected in online surveys and in-depth interviews. The following frameworks are used to present the research data of this project:
Personas
The personas I created were an inspiration from my survey results and interviews. Highlighting and portraying the motivations, gains, and frustrations as well as interests of those individuals, By showing why they have trust issues with e-commerce retailers as well as fear from shipping, product quality, and retention, I was able to create an image of what customers go through every time they want to purchase a product online.
Empathy maps
Empathy maps helped visualize those personas and share why they feel, hear, see and think when purchasing from retailers online as well as what triggers their mistrust.
Journey maps
Based on the personas created, my journey maps showed various touchpoints and user experiences when shopping online. Adding what they expect and their pain points helped me highlight their emotions and what they might be feeling going through the process. This helped provide more insight and close the gap more between pain points and opportunities
03
Design Opportunities, Design Criteria, and Reframing
Through the secondary and primary research, which includes insights from data collected, ample change and innovation is needed to improve consumer trust in the MENA region online retail industry.
Many are aware of the lack of trust when it comes to online retail shopping and are eager for some change. Although there is exponential growth in the region, mistrust is dominant and consumer education is crucial.
The new approach is not to rebuild but to expand, innovate and refine existing ideologies and services. By providing more and better payment and shipping options while utilizing personalized customer services promoted by retailers to the customer.
04
Prototyping Developing and Testing
This research will be primarily qualitative in nature because it will stimulate the process of improving consumer trust. Utilizing secondary research to gather current data and to see what competitors in the retail industry are doing to gain consumer trust is vital. Primary research will be crucial knowing the cause as well as challenges this issue has brought up in the region. Conducting interviews with customers and individuals in the industry will be helpful to analyze and framing solutions for the benefit of the industry in the region and hopefully taken advantage of in other industries.
PMI Matrix
Concept Development
The aim of the concept development chart is to eliminate concepts and choose one for prototyping. Using the opportunities and a scale of one to five, I was able to eliminate my concepts based on how important the opportunities were utilized in the concepts.
Final Concept
SCARAB
A scarab is an important Egyptian symbol in the form of the dung beetle and it refers variously to the ideas of existence, manifestation, development, growth, and effectiveness (Britannica 2014).
The retail industry in the MENA region is highly driven by a large number of customers and local retailers. Both wanting to expand, deliver and receive the best and most trusted online user experience. Because of the limited and defective services and tools that retailers have, it has become hard to grow and develop innovative ways that enhance retailers with maximum customer retention and provide customers with the highest value propositions. Therefore, Scarab is the best solution yet to come because it will help develop and drive transformational reformation to consumers' trust in the MENA region retail industry.
Final Concept Summary
05
Final Design to Market
This research will be primarily qualitative in nature because it will stimulate the process of improving consumer trust. Utilizing secondary research to gather current data and to see what competitors in the retail industry are doing to gain consumer trust is vital. Primary research will be crucial knowing the cause as well as challenges this issue has brought up in the region. Conducting interviews with customers and individuals in the industry will be helpful to analyze and framing solutions for the benefit of the industry in the region and hopefully taken advantage of in other industries.
Conclusion
After conducting my research and focusing on the needs and wants of consumer trust, it has become evident that although customer trust is challenged by the underdeveloped retail industry in the MENA region current customers and retailers are more interested in their experiences.
However, through my secondary research, customers and retailers are encouraging e-commerce and online shopping awareness. After addressing major key factors that hinder online retail growth, it has become easy to refocus where improvements are needed. I believe that educating and providing resources and tools for retailers will create change and growth, which will be recognized in the future.
With collaborative effort and a passion for awareness and growth, there is potential for the retail industry to enhance consumer trust in the MENA region and hopefully inspire other industries to address the same challenges and approach them in the same way.
Recommendations
For Consumers:
Be interactive with local retailers and provide constant feedback and reviews on how retailers can improve their online presence. Utilize services retailers provide online and join their loyalty programs. There is always room for change and supporting retailers by adopting this change can change the industry in many ways.
For Retailers
Be transparent and provide the best user experience possible to your consumers. Knowing where the pain points are and addressing them is how adopting innovations begin. There is great potential for online retail industry growth with utilizing the right tools and collaborating with the major industry changes.
For Interested Audiences
Consider online local retail business and support Scarab as a toolkit that is eager to see change and growth in the MENA region consumer and online retailer relationship. Help promote the importance of e-commerce awareness and the efforts that retailers put in expanding their online presence while being challenged by consumer trust.
