Technology & IT | Sunday 9 October, 2016 2:59 pm |

Sky Telecom Group, UAE’s leading digital enabler for telecom service providers and the consumer technology industry, has created a new era of digital retail by offering shopping, social sharing and e-payments at its ultimate shopping destination www.MySky.ae.

The retail sector is a highly competitive and fast-evolving environment due to the increase of smartphone penetration as well as the resulting growth in mobile commerce and social media changing consumer buying behaviour. According to research*, ecommerce B2C sales reached $15 billion in 2015 from $9 million in 2012 and the value of mcommerce was $4.9 billion. It is swiftly overtaking desktop so businesses must now ensure more products are online to deliver the seamless service expected by the Millennials and Generation X. With only 15 per cent of MENA businesses online, developing sophisticated, easy online, mobile and digital channels to market is a high priority to capture this audience.

Ali Kassab, CEO of Sky Telecom Group said, “At MySky.ae, we clearly understand both the challenges of the retailers and the patterns of shopper buying behaviour from our experience and insights of online ecommerce platforms. Today, retailers must have a mobile-centric marketing strategy as well as ecommerce and traditional routes to market. It’s all about personalisation of the shopper’s experience, making life simple for them and offering a one stop site to deliver their needs; a platform that is everything for everyone.”

MySky.ae is designed to combine cutting edge digital solutions with the very latest trends in technology, social shopping, epayments and lifestyle concierge solutions and is set to become the region’s retail and social shopping platform of choice. Shopping categories range from beauty, fashion, jewellery, art, travel and adventure, sports and home décor. This new concept appeals to those wanting to shop on one platform whilst tapping into the sharing ecosystem, bringing a sense of immediacy and fun, informing friends of potential purchases and seeking advice. It is the answer to every busy individual’s possible need for a hectic life on the go. MySky.ae is literally everything, Shopping, Social, Payments all in one go and on the go!

Social connectivity is another unique feature tapping into over 80% of internet users in the GCC region who use social media platforms on a daily basis. MySky.ae is designed for shoppers to share their buys, experiences, reviews and suggestions within their social circle of friends. Combining the currency of social networking with the increasing preference for digital retail over mall shopping, MySky.ae looks to streamline these services just in time for the festive season.

The platform connects shoppers to thousands of retail outlets under its Trusted Partner Programme, a strict quality assurance process, which certifies retailers to transact through the company’s secured marketplace. Once approved Trusted Partners can upload their products and provide access to their own online catalogue of products and services, giving them exposure to millions of Mysky.ae online shoppers. Trusted Partners will have a package of tools to manage customer loyalty, inventory, e-payments and digital marketing in order to ignite their businesses and drive new traffic to the store across all channels and can be identified by customers through Sky Telecom’s Trusted Partner stamp.

Ali Kassab, CEO MySky.ae continued, “MySky.ae is making the shopping and payment user experience simple and effortless. Shoppers today are now used to everything being available in just a few clicks – so why not their social shopping and epayments? Our platform combines robust technology and customer service insight to produce the next generation social shopping experience that offers everything to everyone.”

Technology is also revolutionising the payments industry and tipping the balance of cash vs. non-cash transactions. MySky.ae will be the go-to place to manage all online bill payments, epayments for utilities, schooling, transport, digital products, money transfers, mobile top ups, credit card payments, wallet services and digital gifting.

New epayment platforms are critical to maintaining the fast evolution of ecommerce and maintain pace with technology and users’ expectation of services for those on high or low incomes. Research shows** that an estimated $230 billion in payments is made in the UAE per year to more than 350,000 merchants and government entities with 70-80% of online shopping still paid cash on delivery. This is set to change with the rise in epayment technology and a cultural shift to move away from a pure cash-based economy with MySky.ae at the forefront.

The evolution of MySky.ae to a social shopping destination will take place over the next few months in the UAE with future plans to expand across the MENA region.