Makro, a prominent player in South Africa’s retail landscape, has encountered significant challenges with its recent migration to an interim marketplace platform for third-party sellers. Since its inception in 2017, Makro’s online marketplace has facilitated sales not only from its own stores but also from external vendors, akin to global giants like Amazon and Takealot.
However, the transition to the new platform on 16 May 2024 has been marred by a slew of technical issues and operational inefficiencies, frustrating many of its sellers.
First brought to public attention by a Makro seller in early June 2024 and corroborated by discussions in a Facebook group for online South African marketplace sellers, the problems include:
Issues with payment processing, leading to delays and discrepancies in disbursements for sales completed in May. Persistent technical glitches such as login failures, inability to modify listings, and erratic changes in product information and pricing.
Complaints of inadequate support and communication from Makro Marketplace, with sellers often directed to general webinars rather than receiving personalized assistance for their issues. Despite these challenges, Makro has acknowledged the frustrations faced by sellers but has not formally acknowledged any shortcomings with the new platform. They have committed to resolving these issues and have implemented measures such as increasing seller support staff and scheduling regular updates and training sessions.
Brian Leroni, head of corporate affairs at Massmart (Makro’s parent company), clarified that the current platform is temporary. They plan to launch a comprehensive seller platform in the third quarter of 2024, incorporating advanced features from Flipkart’s e-commerce technology. This forthcoming platform aims to provide sellers with enhanced tools for management, integration capabilities, and promotional opportunities, promising a more robust and seamless selling experience.
In response to a pricing glitch that occurred in late May, where several high-value products were mistakenly listed at drastically reduced prices, Makro apologized to affected customers and assured them that affected orders would not be fulfilled. This incident underscored broader concerns about the stability and reliability of Makro’s digital infrastructure during the ongoing platform transition.
As Makro continues to navigate these challenges, sellers and industry observers remain cautiously optimistic about the promised improvements with the upcoming platform update, hoping for a resolution to current operational difficulties.
Source: mybroadband
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