The Saudi Ministry of Commerce announced on Wednesday 10 initiatives to develop the sector of electronic stores, based on the results of a survey that measured consumer satisfaction with the performance of e-commerce in the Kingdom.
The study, which surveyed more than 6,000 people, highlighted four main challenges facing consumers, namely: lack of clarity of warranty and maintenance policies, failure to deliver to some areas, delay in resolving complaints, and a slow refund process.
Based on the results of the questionnaire, the ministry approved 10 initiatives to develop the work of e-commerce, mainly requesting e-stores to provide a purchase invoice with all information related to the warranty, communicating with the product agent, and gradually expanding the geographical coverage of delivery, to include the various regions of the Kingdom.
The ministry also decided to work on diversifying shipping and delivery options, in order to ensure that shipments are not delayed, requesting online stores to provide various payment solutions such as Mada card and credit cards, and providing technical systems for managing and following up on refunds, in addition to facilitating procedures for orders cancellation.
The Ministry of Commerce emphasized that it was working, in partnership with electronic stores, to implement the initiatives, in order to improve the services provided by the sector and raise consumer satisfaction and confidence.
In parallel, the Federation of Saudi Chambers launched a plan that seeks to enhance communication among the Chambers of Commerce, unify efforts and exchange expertise in a way that contributes to maximizing the benefit, improve the business environment, empower the private sector in various regions of the country, and raise the quality of economic research.
The initiative comes within the framework of the Federation’s endeavor to strengthen the role of the private sector institutional bodies in serving the business community and the national economy, raising the quality of products and outputs, and improving the level of performance to enhance the private sector’s contribution to the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
Meanwhile, the Riyadh Chamber, represented by the Commercial Centers Committee, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Middle East Council of Shopping Centers, to enhance joint cooperation, train Saudi cadres and promote localization programs in the retail sector.
The council will host training courses and provide the necessary materials to prepare specialized cadres in the Saudi retail industry.
