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JoDealz befriending trade policies in midst of e-commerce growth in Jordan
By Razan Abu Sharia, Jordan News
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The fashion industry is highly sensitive to the policies and politics that
shape cross-border trade. Trying to circumvent some of the problems, e-commerce
expert Abdalhady Al-Dweik, in collaboration with his brother Abdullah Al-Dweik,
founded JoDealz, in the process getting familiar with Jordan’s trade tensions
and customs tariffs. اضافة اعلان
JoDealz is a Jordanian startup founded in 2018 that stands as an omnichannel e-commerce platform with both a website and an application. It specializes in selling a variety of items at affordable prices, including clothing, shoes, and accessories.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a paradigm shift, acting as an accelerator for brands to adopt innovative ways to produce value creation and elevate customer experience. JoDealz approach is to support the Jordanian fashion industry by connecting shoppers to local designers through one digital platform. The result was an impactful and sustainable model whereby shops and suppliers in Amman display their products, simultaneously boosting industry job creation.
There are challenges in the trade and commerce industry in Jordan; Dweik’s background in mechanical engineering came in handy, helping him design, analyze, build, and push the e-commerce movement in the South West Asian/North African (SWANA) region.
“JoDealz is that place that is not only offered to offline customers that pass by the shop, but to virtual customers comfortable with online shopping and the modern retail landscape,” Dweik told Jordan News.
To adapt to the fluctuations in customer behavior post pandemic, JoDealz was initially launched as an e-platform, selling products grouped in categories on virtual shelves. It started with apparel and later expanded to include groceries. Throughout the process, Dweik has been able to find solutions for challenging issues posed by trade regulations and customs authorities in Jordan.
Minister of Finance Mohamad Al-Ississ announced at a press conference the decision to reduce customs fees from 15 percent to 5 percent, but this reduction was not reflected in the prices of products.
Jordan has been part of the World Trade Organization since 2000 and the USAID Fiscal Reform Project since 2009, which leveraged the country’s “single window” program aimed at minimizing the challenges at the Customs Department.
According to the World Bank, Jordan takes 29 hours to process exports and 134 to process imports. In 2022, a plan to restructure the customs fees in Jordan has been decided in the Cabinet, to further reduce customs categories from 11 to 4, and percentages from 40 to 25.
The comprehensive customs reform will also include procedures preventing authorities from intervening in the general monitoring reference on border crossings. Hence, Jordan’s Customs Department will be in charge of general monitoring activities with all other institutions operating under its sphere.
Despite the fact that the Cabinet strives to restructure customs fees, Jordan remains a testing ground for business owners and suppliers. This is where JoDealz comes in, supporting almost 15 local suppliers and importing and displaying apparel from countries including Romania, Bangladesh, and Syria.
JoDealz adapted to the rise of e-grocery shopping during the pandemic by partnering with Sameh Mall — a commercial mall part of the Sameh Group — to display grocery items available for delivery in all Jordanian governorates. Today, its core service remains high-quality fashion apparel and loyalty brands.
According to economist Wajdi Makhamreh, Jordanian suppliers and shops struggle with tracking customer behavior and purchases over specific periods of time due to random, irrational, and impulsive buying habits.
The company’s business model has evolved to support customers in two ways: through payment solutions and customer service. Its retention has reached 80 percent, with 40,000 customers actively shopping on its e-commerce platform.
JoDealz prioritizes building a customer-oriented approach where it accepts both visa and cash upon delivery, has flexible return and exchange policies, and offers high quality products for suitable prices.
JoDealz further evolved upon joining the Heart of Amman, the UNDP project funded by the government of Japan. JoDealz was one of seven startups selected for the fund based on the company’s impressive performance and traction. It was able to expand its team to 10 core members, utilize marketing tools, and strategize its growth mechanism.
Today, it has expanded to Dubai and Abu Dhabi — the region’s fashion capital.
“Attending the RiseUp Summit in Egypt has supported me in being a part of the ‘Dubai Store’, Dubai’s leading marketplace for a diverse range of products and services, and this is where I see myself operating in the upcoming years,” Dweik explained.
JoDealz continues to direct its efforts toward the fashion sector, growing its business and satisfying its customers.
Read more Entrepreneurship
Jordan News
JoDealz is a Jordanian startup founded in 2018 that stands as an omnichannel e-commerce platform with both a website and an application. It specializes in selling a variety of items at affordable prices, including clothing, shoes, and accessories.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a paradigm shift, acting as an accelerator for brands to adopt innovative ways to produce value creation and elevate customer experience. JoDealz approach is to support the Jordanian fashion industry by connecting shoppers to local designers through one digital platform. The result was an impactful and sustainable model whereby shops and suppliers in Amman display their products, simultaneously boosting industry job creation.
There are challenges in the trade and commerce industry in Jordan; Dweik’s background in mechanical engineering came in handy, helping him design, analyze, build, and push the e-commerce movement in the South West Asian/North African (SWANA) region.
“JoDealz is that place that is not only offered to offline customers that pass by the shop, but to virtual customers comfortable with online shopping and the modern retail landscape,” Dweik told Jordan News.
To adapt to the fluctuations in customer behavior post pandemic, JoDealz was initially launched as an e-platform, selling products grouped in categories on virtual shelves. It started with apparel and later expanded to include groceries. Throughout the process, Dweik has been able to find solutions for challenging issues posed by trade regulations and customs authorities in Jordan.
Minister of Finance Mohamad Al-Ississ announced at a press conference the decision to reduce customs fees from 15 percent to 5 percent, but this reduction was not reflected in the prices of products.
Jordan has been part of the World Trade Organization since 2000 and the USAID Fiscal Reform Project since 2009, which leveraged the country’s “single window” program aimed at minimizing the challenges at the Customs Department.
According to the World Bank, Jordan takes 29 hours to process exports and 134 to process imports. In 2022, a plan to restructure the customs fees in Jordan has been decided in the Cabinet, to further reduce customs categories from 11 to 4, and percentages from 40 to 25.
The comprehensive customs reform will also include procedures preventing authorities from intervening in the general monitoring reference on border crossings. Hence, Jordan’s Customs Department will be in charge of general monitoring activities with all other institutions operating under its sphere.
Despite the fact that the Cabinet strives to restructure customs fees, Jordan remains a testing ground for business owners and suppliers. This is where JoDealz comes in, supporting almost 15 local suppliers and importing and displaying apparel from countries including Romania, Bangladesh, and Syria.
JoDealz adapted to the rise of e-grocery shopping during the pandemic by partnering with Sameh Mall — a commercial mall part of the Sameh Group — to display grocery items available for delivery in all Jordanian governorates. Today, its core service remains high-quality fashion apparel and loyalty brands.
JoDealz prioritizes building a customer-oriented approach where it accepts both visa and cash upon delivery, has flexible return and exchange policies, and offers high quality products for suitable prices.Despite being led by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, JoDealz has seldom benefited from it due to Jordan’s lack of awareness and culture around online shopping. The company was pushed to open an offline store for customers to physically interact with its products. Tracking customer behavior led to the understanding that offline shopping raises purchasing power as much as online shopping.
According to economist Wajdi Makhamreh, Jordanian suppliers and shops struggle with tracking customer behavior and purchases over specific periods of time due to random, irrational, and impulsive buying habits.
The company’s business model has evolved to support customers in two ways: through payment solutions and customer service. Its retention has reached 80 percent, with 40,000 customers actively shopping on its e-commerce platform.
JoDealz prioritizes building a customer-oriented approach where it accepts both visa and cash upon delivery, has flexible return and exchange policies, and offers high quality products for suitable prices.
JoDealz further evolved upon joining the Heart of Amman, the UNDP project funded by the government of Japan. JoDealz was one of seven startups selected for the fund based on the company’s impressive performance and traction. It was able to expand its team to 10 core members, utilize marketing tools, and strategize its growth mechanism.
Today, it has expanded to Dubai and Abu Dhabi — the region’s fashion capital.
“Attending the RiseUp Summit in Egypt has supported me in being a part of the ‘Dubai Store’, Dubai’s leading marketplace for a diverse range of products and services, and this is where I see myself operating in the upcoming years,” Dweik explained.
JoDealz continues to direct its efforts toward the fashion sector, growing its business and satisfying its customers.
Read more Entrepreneurship
Jordan News
