Sylvia Duruson
Nigerian home services startup Eden Life has rebranded and launched a new e-commerce marketplace to transform retail in the region.
The new Eden Marketplace will offer categories like groceries, pharmaceuticals, electronics and beauty products. This expands on Eden Life offerings such as laundry, cleaning and food delivery. The strategic expansion puts Eden in competition with giants like Jumia and Konga.
“Our rebrand signifies our evolution to improve life quality, while Eden Marketplace allows vendors to leverage our infrastructure so customers can conveniently get more done,” Eden Life stated.
The rebrand follows an October announcement of impending expanded offerings. Eden Marketplace seeks to bridge buyers and sellers through an inclusive platform addressing issues like product quality, delivery delays and vendor payments.
Eden Life launched in 2019 when founders Nadayar Enegesi, Prosper Otemuyiwa and Silm Momoh recognised the need for better home services. In April 2022, Eden Life expanded into Kenya and acquired local tech company Lynk to facilitate job opportunities.
According to Enegesi, Kenya validated their model and grew faster without building new infrastructure. He expressed confidence in nearing profitability within 12 months.
The rebrand symbolises Eden Life’s commitment to enhancing life quality exponentially. The marketplace extends its infrastructure to empower vendors and customers for an efficient, productive environment.
Moving into e-commerce broadens Eden Life’s scope beyond home services into the larger retail sphere. This provides small businesses in various sectors a platform to sell.
Acknowledging Nigeria’s declining purchasing power, Eden Life adapted from subscription services to diversification, like quick-service restaurant Homemade and now e-commerce. This aligns with projections of Nigeria’s potential $16 billion e-commerce market by 2028.
Entering the competitive space puts Eden Life against leaders like Jumia and Konga. Eden Life plans to charge sales commissions, relying on vendor and customer draw.
However, promotional event demand exposed logistics and fulfilment weaknesses. Eden Life aims to collaborate with more delivery partners and expand its network to meet order volumes.
The marketplace infrastructure will give vendors customer engagement tools, performance analytics and streamlined order management. Customers can expect secure payments, tracking and an array of services.
