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e-commerce enabled internet shopping in 2002, comprehensive CRM systems with Nexus loyalty in 2003, use of ERP (SAP R3) for supermarket backend inventory management operations in 2005, introduced third party bill payments/collections in supermarkets in 2005, use of handheld devices for online tracking of stocks in 2006 which was recognised by Motorola as a case study, mobile POS terminals in 2007, Keells Super Retail Radio in 2008, the first supermarket to use a retail specific ERP (SAP IS Retail) in 2011 and the launch of loyalty kiosks in 2013.
We have always strived to enhance the customer experience via the use of technology and we are very happy to say that we have effectively managed the technology change in bringing in process efficiencies with the use of technology. We may not be the largest super market chain in Sri Lanka at the moment but we are the most technologically advanced.
Q: What difficulties did you experience launching the first e-commerce supermarket website in Sri Lanka in 2002?
A: As I mentioned earlier, we launched online shopping in 2002, as a result of the developments started the year before. This was a real technical breakthrough at that time and our website was the first super market related online shopping store in the country. At the start, we had a very low hit rate. Sometimes it was low as two to three orders per week. Since it was the first of its kind, all the delivery, service, operational, legal and technical processes had to be freshly defined and implemented. It was a huge challenge at that time to setup the operation with seamless integration with the systems and operations. But we managed to very successfully settle the delivery and pick up operations also in very short period. I am very fortunate to lead and manage the keellssuper.com implementation and we have come a long way from our humble beginnings in 2002. However, at present with over 25,000 registered customers, keellssuper.com has grown strongly and has become a solid revenue generator for Keells Super.
Q: How successful is your internet shopping program?
A: In our online strategy, initially we focused on Sri Lankans who are living abroad. There is a considerable number of online customers coming from various parts of the world, including the USA, UK, Australia, Italy, France and most of the Middle Eastern countries. On most occasions, they have their parents or other family members living here in Sri Lanka. They do regular shopping for their loved ones on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis. Because of leellssuper.com, they have got an opportunity to fulfil the household requirements of their relatives in Sri Lanka.
During the last 11 years, www.keellssuper.com has gained immense popularity among Sri Lankan communities living outside Sri Lanka. Keells 
Super has played a vital role in serving the Sri Lankans living abroad and as a result Sri Lanka has managed to earn foreign currency payments into the island as well. According to statistics, more than 50% of our web sales come from Sri Lankans living abroad.
Q: What is this expansion into m-commerce?
A: With the rapid growth of smart phone usage, we understand that there is a clear opportunity and a transformation towards mobile in performing online business. In addition, according to the statistics, there is a significant growth in internet access via mobiles as well. According to the recent TRC statistics, there is a 130% growth in mobile internet users over fixed line users. As a company which always rides the technology evolution ahead of the curve in Sri Lanka, we see a huge potential in mobile commerce in the future and we decided to expand our online presence towards mobiles as well.
Q: What sort of a growth do you anticipate?
A: According to our keellssuper.com site statistics, 8-10% of internet users are accessing the internet through the mobile devices in Sri Lanka. Even though it is not significant percentage, the potential for mobile commerce is very high. According to the studies, every three years, an average individual changes his or her mobile phone. Most of the time it is an upgrade where smart phones are the most preferred option. It is safe to estimate, within the next three years that more than 90% of the total mobile population will have smart phones with them and internet access will also increase massively via mobiles. In mature ecommerce markets like UK, 20% of the ecommerce transactions happen through the mobile devices.
Q: How should we access the m-commerce website?
A: It is very simple; a mobile user with internet access can easily type m.keellssuper.com or keellssuper.mobi to access the Keells Super mobile site. Our website is also intelligent enough to understand the user’s operating system. As a result even if you type www.keellssuper.com on your mobile, the site will automatically identify that the browsing request has come from a mobile device and it will automatically divert the request to our mobile site.
Q: Is there a significant difference in the mobile site in comparison to the regular website when doing an online purchase?
A: Yes there is. There are fundamental differences in the site design when it comes to a mobile enabled website. For example, when you access a website from a PC, you are mostly seated and your full attention is there for detailed browsing. But when you access a website from your mobile, the user might not be able to give full attention as he might be on the move or doing something else simultaneously. Another reason for it to be different is the site interface and user interaction. When you access a site on a PC you have a relatively bigger screen for more detailed graphics and content. But in a mobile application, the interface should be very simple and very easy and fast to use relatively to a PC interface. Basically, mobile enabled sites are simple and less confusing. They are designed to give a simple and fast browsing experience with very light content comparatively.
Q: How quickly a customer can get a home delivery or to collect a pickup order from an outlet?
A: Orders placed before 9 a.m. will be delivered between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and orders placed before 1 p.m. will be delivered after 3 p.m. Pick up orders will be ready for pickup at the selected outlet in three hours of placing the order within outlet working hours (9 a.m.-10:30 p.m.)
Q: Is there any difference in item prices when you shop online in comparison to in-store prices?
A: No. There is no price difference between in-store prices and online prices.
Q: How do we settle the payments for the respective purchases made via m-commerce site?
A: The payment is now limited to credit and debit cards and we are in the process of introducing a few more payment options in the future.
