The customers that are buying gift cards – the Suregifters — Ojo said, have a simple desire – they just want to please their loved ones, and they want to do this in the most thoughtful way and with the least hassle.
“Suregifters send gift cards and compose special messages that convey all the emotion intended from the comfort of their homes or offices,” Ojo added.
One of the major achievements of the platform is its ability to help Nigerians living abroad be part of the celebrations of their loved ones in Nigeria.
“We’re always especially charmed when a customer abroad, who would have otherwise missed an opportunity to share any love, stumbles on SureGifts and shops. These customers usually embed the most touching messages,” Ojo said.
“A customer in Southern Africa thanked ‘easy technology’ in her note to wish her boyfriend in Nigeria happy birthday. These experiences keep us going.”
Educating Nigerians on Gift Cards
The sail hasn’t been entirely smooth for the company. Ojo said they are battling with a number of challenges, one of which is predictably that of educating Nigerian customers on gift cards.
“It is a job that needs a lot of resources. Another challenge is with having an easier way to redeem gift cards at merchant stores. That will be a thing of the past once we can integrate with existing POS devices,” he said. “Also, there are a few potential merchants who just do not understand the concept, are comfortable with the status quo and averse to novel concepts like gift cards.”
The platform now has 24 merchants live on the site. Four of them are online stores that deliver nationwide.
“More will be going live soon, we are actively trying to increase merchant base so we can add more value for our customers and their recipients,” Ojo said.
The merchants that do online deliveries are making it possible for the platform to serve regions outside its Lagos base.
“We have online stores that deliver nationwide (Jumia, Fashpa, Heels and Ella Matthew are currently in integration stage); a gift card for any of these stores can be redeemed from anywhere in Nigeria,” he added. “We already signed key merchants in some states and Abuja to localize the experience and they will be available as soon as the POS integration is done.”
Even though the company is recording major successes, he said they are not relenting; instead, they are seeking to improve customer experience on the platform. Luckily, he said, the market “has been favorable,” in response to the high goals which the team set.
