New shopping website faces old

Worldbridge International Group (WIG) will launch a new shopping website next year in the hope of bolstering the Kingdom’s undeveloped e-commerce industry. Representatives from WorldBridge announced the new online shopping platform called MAIO Mall in Phnom Penh yesterday. The website is expected to be operational early next year under the subsidiary firm, WorldBridgE Commerce Co. Sear Rithy, chairman of WIG said that despite the challenges still facing the e-commerce industry, Cambodia has little choice but to embrace the digital shopping trend. “The market is still small with a poor understanding among our buyers,” Rithy said. “But, I believe it is time for us to start this business . . . Look at Vietnam. When it first launched online shopping in 2008, the market was also small. But now the market is quite big.” Rithy said trust would be a key factor in ensuring the future growth of Cambodia’s e-commerce trade – that is purchasing items or transferring finances over the internet via virtual payment portals. In a move that could potentially harness shoppers’ trust, WIG has secured Acleda Bank as its official payments provider. Shoppers using the MAIO Mall website will either be able to pay directly online or by cash on delivery. “Doing online business depends strongly on trust. When they trust the service and quality, more and more will use the service,” Rithy said. “If clients are afraid of being cheated, like receiving products that don’t reflect what they wanted, they can wait to pay the cash in person when our staff brings the product to their home.” In Channy, group CEO of Acleda Bank, said WIG’s new online venture could give Cambodians the incentive they need to embrace e-commerce trade platforms. “With sufficient human resource, commitment, good infrastructure and technologies in handling the online payments service, we strongly believe that we will make the business operate successfully