[imagesource:here]
In the year ending March 31, 2021, Takealot increased its revenue by about 65%.
That amounts to $606 million, or roughly R8,7 billion, although it does include the Mr D Food delivery business, as well as fashion retailer Superbalist.
Mr D saw a 117% increase in food order volume, and Business Insider SA reports that Superbalist’s gross sales were up 45%, but that total revenue spike was largely due to the success of Takealot.com.
Despite those impressive numbers, the Naspers-owned company actually traded at a loss. This via MyBroadband:
“Takealot had an exceptionally strong year reporting Gross Merchandise Value (total value of sales) growth of 84% and significantly improving profitability,” [Naspers] said.
Takealot’s trading loss was reduced from US$43 million (R618 million) to US$7 million (R101 million) over the last year.
Gross Merchandise Value increased from US$603 million (R8.65 billion) to US$1.022 billion (R14.66 billion) over the last year.
Takealot’s GMV is significantly higher than its revenue because a portion of the sales go to sellers on its marketplace.
The sales figures are even more impressive when you consider that Takealot was actually banned from selling “non-essential” items for a few months lat year by trade and industry minister Ebrahim Patel.
At the time, then Takealot CEO Kim Reid called the ban “incomprehensible”, and labelled the government “short-sighted”.
So, what are people snapping up from the online retailer?
MyBroadband has the stats for June, and there’s definitely a winter theme on that top 10 list.
- TVs
- Xbox Series X
- Air fryers
- Samsung Galaxy phones
- Apple Airpods
- Sim cards and data
- Disposable and reusable masks
- Red Wine
- Gas canisters and heaters
- Solar lights
Air fryers at number three.
Nice to see all that talk is actually translating into sales.
Pro tip – if you visit a friend’s place and spot an air fryer, do not ask about it, no matter how curious you are.
If you do, there’s a high probability you will be drawn into a lengthy conversation about how virtually everything humankind has ever eaten can now be done in an air fryer.
I’m sure gas heaters are always a big seller in the winter months, but hitting stage 3 and 4 of load shedding would also have helped move a few units.
Props to those ordering red wine as well. If you’re staying in, do it in style.
[sources:businsidersa&mybb&mybb]
