Holding all the Aces

Niroshan Balasubramaniam and Christian Schroeder, Managing Directors of Kaymu Asia shed light on their venture. Natasha Rahman reels on as the dynamic duo talk business

With so many online websites zooming around, Kaymu is on a league of its own. What others do, Kaymu does better.

Corporate Cafe 2-01

When shopping becomes as delightful and gratifying as eating cake, it’s apparent that the tables have turned and how! The magical one stop solution for buyers and sellers, Kaymu runs the gamut from home appliances and gadgets to jewellery and clothing, and the list could go on and on. “The consumer response, both from the buyers and sellers has been tremendous,” says Schroeder. He lets the numbers speak for themselves. With a boastful eighty-thousand products and counting to showcase on their website, they have the highest number of sellers.
We wonder how the experience of running Kaymu has been so far. Balasubramaniam comments, “For the buyers, it’s the best online destination in Bangladesh as we offer a wide assortment of products. Also, it’s important to cater to the local needs of the market as well as the seasonal events such as Eid, Valentine’s Day, etc.” Kaymu stays on top of the game with their excellent sales team who play a key role in ensuring that everything runs smoothly with their designated buyers and sellers. “Our account managers are linked to the sellers, and manage the sellers’ product database. Kaymu also provides them with strategic analytical support, informing sellers about the best deals and contacts for new products.” The sales team work with the sellers through promotional plans where Kaymu highlights products through their fantastic marketing channels. “When someone is browsing through Facebook they will see pop ups such as ‘buy amazing products for your loved one’ which invites interested buyers,” explains Balasubramaniam. With so many online websites zooming around, Kaymu is on a league of its own. What others do, Kaymu does better.

Schroeder comments, “We can cater to the needs of the sellers better; we provide our sellers with education and helpful information which optimises the best ways to promote their products and make them stand out amongst the rest.”
So, whether you are a buyer or a seller, Kaymu will walk you through the entire operation.
Balasubramaniam clarifies further, “Every time we sign up a new seller, we have teams here that will guide them through the different stages of the online process and enable them to understand exactly what they need to do. Furthermore, when they start selling, there is a team of customer services here to help their customers with any queries and concerns they may have.” There stands a designated account manager; all ears and willing to assist the buying and selling process.

After a year’s worth of operations, Kaymu holds an edge over other online companies by making a staggering difference when it comes to empowering entrepreneurs. “The most rewarding thing for us is the success of our clients and sellers and the happiness we create among the buyers who are satisfied with our services,” Schroeder beams. “There are sellers here who come from very modest backgrounds and make good money. They improve their standard of living by conducting business via Kaymu alone. It’s a great feeling to see so many sellers being empowered this way. We had one particular seller, who was so happy with the services that he brought in many new sellers  for Kaymu,” adds Balasubramaniam.
Kaymu maintains a very dedicated team for every operation that facilitates the buying and selling process. “Every order a buyer puts online, our customer services team authorises and confirms with the buyer before taking the next step. The account managers do their best to validate the quality of the products so that there are no unpleasant surprises for the buyer,” Balasubramaniam explains.

Niroshan and Christian cross off the three checkmarks on what sets Kaymu apart
1. Our web platform – we are organized as an online portal – so we have categories such as clothing, accessories, makeup. We have something for everybody. The customer’s journey is much better here. What you see is what you get.
2. Kaymu has a toolkit for entrepreneurs. Every time we sign up a new seller we assign a professional photographer to take photos of the product for the website. We have a very comprehensive guide which tells you how you can trade your first listing and start selling.
3. Customers have a wider range of choices to pick from. These wide assortments are unparalleled in Bangladesh.

Quick Fire Questions
with Niroshan and Christian

Q. If you could go back in time and do one thing differently what would that be?
Christian: I think in the beginning we didn’t focus much on bringing clothing products. However, in the last few months we have intensified our focus on that area. We have seen great response from the buyers. I believe we would have grown much faster if we took that up from the start.

Q. What has been the biggest challenge you have faced so far?
Christian: At the beginning, the internet penetration was very low. But now, it’s in a much better condition with more people using the internet on their smart phones and laptops. Also we have introduced a new app for Android phones about six months ago which has become quite popular.

Q. What is one misconception about Kaymu?
Niroshan: Kaymu is a marketplace, and our sellers are the shops. Sometimes customers misunderstand us to be the direct sellers.