“The Rise of Digital Shops in Nigeria” – How Online Shops Are Saving Our Lives.

Let’s take a walk down memory lane to better understand digital shops. Picture this, the year was 2020, and COVID numbers had started to rise like garri soaked in water, governments around the world had begun to announce total lockdown, and everyone and their uncles were dancing on TikTok. 

One thing about that COVID period was when people were buying out everything in shops like we were preparing for war. Little did we know that the period would lead to the speedy rise of digital shops and e-commerce in Nigeria, from shopping for home appliances to shopping for food online during the pandemic. 

Fast forward to 2025, digital shops have become even better and more secure. Without leaving your house to Computer Village, or Onitsha main market, you can comfortably buy or sell phones, appliances, thrift clothes, or wigs from those markets, while at home scrolling through your phone

There’s really nothing you can’t buy online these days, so let’s get into it.

What is a Digital Shop?  

Think of it as a shop for your business where you don’t have to pay rent, face Nepa wahala, or deal with a troublesome landlord or neighbour, and it comes with a much larger space for you to show everything you sell to a wide range of people.

Digital shops are online storefronts or profiles that showcase the products or services you offer and can be used to assist sales from your physical shop. They allow your customers to buy directly from you over the Internet using a website or mobile app. 

For example on the days you don’t open your physical shop, or if you happen to close your physical shop early for the day, customers can still keep buying from your digital shop. The Hustle doesn’t stop. 

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What is E-Commerce?

E-commerce also known as electronic commerce is any buying and selling that happens online or over the Internet. 

From buying tomatoes or meat to selling clothes or electronics online, e-commerce is any exchange of goods or services through websites or apps on computers, phones, or any smart device. 

The Benefits of a Digital Shops to Vendor Growth 

There’s still customer shalaye when it comes to selling online but with a digital shop, it is more easily controlled by you and will not lead to tearing of shirt or throwing of hands. 

You just have to build a honest and trusted brand, if not your customers will always be right if they give you wahala. Online shops also provide various opportunities for vendors to grow significantly, for example, a wider customer reach, with the business operating at a lower cost.

Since the lockdown in 2020, the opportunities e-commerce platforms offer have increased with an improved payment and logistic system. A lot of online vendors have switched to digital shops that make their business organized without a physical store.

Vendors with digital shops have been able to achieve fast business growth, wider market reach, increase in profit, and a chance to effectively manage their time and mental health.

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5 Popular E-Commerce and Digital Shops in Nigeria 

1. Chowdeck & Glovo: Food and Food Delivery 

From Blessed Kitchen and that small food business around your area to KFC, Domino Pizza, and Chicken Republic. Chowdeck and Glovo are Digital shops that give you access to different food joints all in one place. 

This allows food vendors of any size an opportunity to reach a wide range of customers and at the same time gives them enough space for their physical restaurant to accommodate more people. 

These Nigerian e-commerce food stores can also get your food across to your customers or to you on time with a dispatch ride system. 

2. Jumia Store: Computer, Phones and Gadgets

Remember that big Communications store in your city? That one that writes all the brands of phones and laptops on their signboard. Until you step in, to find iPhone, Tecno, and HP as the only brand they have. 

Jumia is not like that big store – it’s actually bigger and better, with every brand of phone, laptop, or gadget available to you in the comfort of your home by browsing through their website. 

This digital platform allows vendors to set up stores where they can sell their available brands of products or gadgets to Jumia shoppers. 

3. Fusion Store: Social Shopping of Digital and Physical Products 

Have you ever tried buying something from an online vendor that’s not well organized? Stressful right? No effort in putting up a reliable brand just post on status once in a while with vibes and Inshallah. 

Fusion Store combines social media and safe shopping. Giving vendors a social media presence with a chance to create, manage, and share their shop with anyone, at any time, so customers can buy whatever vendor’s offer directly from the link.

Either for food, phones, books, clothes or appliances, Fusion store is like an online business card with a shop where you can sell anything attached to it. Your small kiosk or supermarket, whichever way you wish to create and handle it. 

4. Konga Store: Home and Kitchen Appliances 

From kitchen towels, or 6-burner gas cookers to doorbells and energy-saving lightbulbs, you’ll find all things home and kitchen appliances on Konga. This store was one of the online e-commerce platforms that came to the rescue of many Nigerians during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Just by browsing through their websites or mobile apps, you come across a wide range of products from various vendors.

This e-commerce platform allows vendors to create a digital shop presence on their app or website where vendors can sell their products to Konga online shoppers.

5. HealthBanc & OneDrugstore: Health and Wellbeing

FitFam but you don’t know where to start from? This health, wellness, and medication e-commerce store, puts everything that helps improve your health, and well-being in one place. 

Healthbanc & Onedrugstore are digital shops that give you easy and reliable access to healthy fruits, drinks, and food, relaxing spa time, gym membership, and even the choice to refill your medication from the comfort of your home. 

This Nigerian e-commerce health store provides vendors that serve a range of healthy products with an opportunity to showcase their products on a digital shop that aligns with their customers. 

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Aside from taking your business from “God Abeg” to “God When”, a digital shop also helps you focus on your mental health, and gives you enough time to understand your business and customers. 

And that’s just a part of the overall growth if you consider the access to a broader market, and ease of transaction a digital shop gives you as a vendor, at the same time making your business look and feel more professional to your customers.

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