Naspers-owned company PriceCheck.co.za has announced a partnership with MTN Group that will see the release of a co-branded version of its leading price comparison and shopping discovery mobile application in South Africa.
The partnership between a mobile operator and an ecommerce company underscores the importance of mobile in the retail ecosystem.
André de Wet, CEO of PriceCheck: "The partnership with MTN puts PriceCheck directly in front of end-users when they are looking for product information. We are making shopping easier and more relevant for the consumer, all the while mimicking real life behaviour. Less than 1% of retail happens online, yet as much as 40% of the buying decision process starts on mobile. We are now in a position to impact that crucial moment of influence. The future of commerce is on mobile and together with MTN, PriceCheck is closing the loop."
The co-branded app will feature PriceCheck's existing functionality, including product and service price comparison, product reviews, store details and a barcode scanner to double check prices. Access to product information and pricing, regardless of location, is what makes the co-branded MTN-PriceCheck app a powerful shopping tool for savvy mobile consumers.
"MTN is continually exploring opportunities to deliver a distinct customer experience to our customers. The partnership with PriceCheck marks another important step in our expansion into the digital space, particularly into ecommerce and will allow customers to find the best deal wherever they go. Whereas our customers in South Africa will be first to enjoy the benefits of this relationship, plans are already underway to introduce a local version of the app in other markets in the region," says MTN group chief commercial officer, Pieter Verkade.
As part of the launch in South Africa, the app will be available across all MTN devices, and in app stores for Android, BlackBerry, Windows and iOS devices. The app will also be pre-loaded to the MTN Steppa device. Since the launch of this operator owned Android (Gingerbread) $50 smartphone, in excess of 60,000 units have been sold in South Africa.
