A new online shopping platform targeting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) is the latest entrant in the rapidly growing local e-commerce space and where it is betting on a diversified product line to gain an edge over competitors. MR Media, which says it has already amassed 100,000 users, allows vendors to list their products on its digital platform for free to reach more customers as more shoppers shift to online shopping owing to its convenience. In a first of it's kind model, the platform combines listing of both new and used products and also serves as a platform for job listing as part of a strategy to address the high unemployment rate in Kenya as well as tap into this pool of millions of users. As such, individuals can post job requests on MR Media, while employers can also post job offers. “Most businesses we support through our platform are MSMEs engaged in Jua Kali, manufacturing, farming, online trading, phone merchandise, car dealers, property dealers, building contractors, service providers, IT firms, artists, job seekers and employers where they get an opportunity to reach their prospective customers easily and for free,” MR Media Chief Executive Officer, John Karanja, told this writer during an interview. MR Media also lists tenders where interested businesses can browse through tenders listed by both government and private entities for the provision of goods and services. Further, individuals who have household items such as electronics, utensils, furniture and property such as land and buildings may list the products on the online platform for free to reach buyers. Mr Karanja explains how individuals seeking to dispose household items and property at competitive prices, can go about it. “A vendor may choose to post items from the MR Media main platform or may opt to open a sub-store called e-store where all the products are displayed from. Customers may shop for items from the vendors' store and interact with the store owner,” he explains. The businessman hopes the platform will be a draw for many MSMEs which are cash-strapped and lack budgets for marketing and advertising.The platform also offers opportunities for agents who can post and sell on behalf of goods owners and earn a commission. MR Media targets to reach 1 million customers next year even as it has set eyes on expansion to Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Nigeria owing to its initial success in Kenya. “Our primary aim is supporting start-ups that do not have huge budgets and who would otherwise be disadvantaged by the highly prohibitive advertisement costs as they try to reach their respective customer bases. This is also an advantage to buyers who can search a variety of items and compare prices from the platform before making their buying decision,” Mr Karanja adds. The company is also pioneering on the medical/health space by allowing individuals seeking urgent medical attention to, for instance, source for blood donations and any other urgent campaigns that are not cash related. The platform also has a premium membership plan where vendors pay a little fee for their product listings to be featured prominently on prime spots in the website to boost visibility among users visiting the site. MR Media enters the market at a time when the online shopping industry has been dogged with growing cases of unscrupulous vendors defrauding buyers by, for example, failing to deliver goods that have been paid for or delivering substandard goods, different from the ones listed. As a result, Mr Karanja notes that his company has come up with robust safety features to address such cases of online fraudsters even as it continually boosts its security features to keep up with the evolving clever tactics being employed by fraudsters.