The goal of the Tunisian B2B e-commerce startup Kamioun is to become the dominant mobile platform for corner shops.
This will assist these businesses in simplifying their replenishment procedures, which will serve as a stepping stone into other parts of the digitalization of their businesses.
It was during the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 that an earlier idea was pivoted into the shape that is now known as Kamioun. Kamioun’s present iteration is essentially a digital wholesaler that generates revenue by selling products at a margin above the price at which they were purchased.
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What the executives of Kamioun want us to know
According to Fares Belghith, the company’s founder and chief executive officer, “We manage the whole order lifecycle but do not own the vehicles and use a warehousing partner for the storage and the order processing.”
“We are also working on additional verticals such as a POS tool for corner shops to help them manage their inventory and sales, and on payment solutions.”
According to Belghith, Kamioun is of the opinion that corner shops are an essential component of the social fabric in Tunisia, as well as in a great number of other nations in Africa.
“We think that they need to remain, and we need to help them prosper and thrive in this new economy,” he said.
He further narrated how Kamioun needs to help them prosper and thrive in this new economy. Because of this, they have made it their mission to restore them to the centre of their communities by providing them with resources, such as that of the company’s platform, that secure their continued existence. Kamioun’s goal is to make shopping easier and more convenient across Africa, and that is the core vision of Kamioun.
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The impact of Kamioun
In Tunisia, Kamioun has competition from a diverse group of wholesalers, distribution businesses, and travelling salesmen. These competitors do the majority of their business offline and schedule visits to various zones using cash vans in an effort to sell their products.
Belghith revealed that Inventory is being pushed to corner stores by suppliers in what is considered to be a seller’s market. The model is still not widespread, and pre-sales salespeople on bikes moving around and doing business is still a rare event.
He added, “We do the reverse. Corner shops order on-demand, and we deliver based on their needs.”
Kamioun was able to amass a respectable early client base as a result of its successful fundraising efforts, which resulted in the company receiving approximately $600,000 in funding from venture capitalists and business angels as well as approximately $100,000 in grants.
It currently has hundreds of monthly active customers, a number that is growing at a rate of 10% per month. It is hoping to launch in Algeria as well as other areas in the near future, but this will be contingent on receiving funds.
“We are actively raising, but this space is currently looked upon with scepticism as large players have been struggling to make their unit economics work. This is also why we are having great conversations on the ongoing raise, as suddenly our frugality and great unit economics are becoming attractive,” said Belghith.