Assessing promotional strategies in online shops in Uganda: a case study of Jumia Uganda limited.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the promotional strategies utilized by online shops such as Jumia Uganda Limited. In addition, the study sought to identify the challenges encountered by Jumia Uganda marketing staff in promoting their products as well as obtaining the suggested recommendations from their perceptions. A qualitative research design was adopted. The focus was to obtain the experiences and perceptions of Jumia Uganda Limited on the promotional strategies, the challenges they face in marketing their products online, and the suggested recommendations to counter the challenges. While 500 Jumia employees were targeted, only 28 were suitably selected for interviews by purposive sampling. The data analysis was performed using the six thematic analysis stages, including data familiarization, coding, generating themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and analysis/visualization. Findings reveal that many participants were youthful, mainly engaged in roles such as customer service representatives, data analysts, customer relations managers, and marketing strategists within Jumia online shops. More than half were male, with most holding limited experience in their fields. Jumia experts highlighted a range of promotional strategies centered on high-intensity seasonal campaigns such as Black Friday, Tech Week, and Black November, which they described as the most effective drivers of sales spikes. They emphasized the uniqueness of their flash sales compared to competitors who rarely test or implement short campaigns, thereby enhancing Jumia’s promotional edge. Effectiveness was measured through impressions, clicks, and emails, while campaign trails, drives, runs, and walks to buyers’ premises were also noted as direct engagement tactics. Digital platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Google Ads were reported as central for distributing story-based content and executing retargeting strategies, complemented by local influencers who unbox products and announce discounts to boost visibility. Additionally, app notifications, referral codes, free delivery offers, and monitoring buyer engagement and complaint frequency were identified as vital parameters for sustaining promotional performance. Regarding the challenges they face, financial constraints and low budgets limit their application performance. Secondly, they reported technical issues and difficulties due to website downtime and the integration of promotion systems. Also, the respondents experienced technological difficulties, such as learning large AI languages that require training. They also complained of stiff competition from their counterparts. These difficulties hold them back from stretching beyond their current customers to new customers. They also reported technical issues relating to their application, especially during peak sales, and lamented fraud and serious negative feedback that demotivates them from participation in online shopping promotional strategies. Participants suggested several innovative strategies to address reported challenges, also emphasized establishing a feedback loop between buyers and sellers, enhancing technological capabilities for faster delivery and promotion efficiency, and improving infrastructure to manage customer demands. Subject keywords; Jumia Uganda limited, Online shops, Promotional strategies, Uganda