The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the retail landscape with most retail transactions now occurring online through e-commerce platforms. With the evolving consumer needs, top IT solutions company Yondu announced the launch of Vessell, an off-the-shelf eCommerce platform that aims to enable businesses to shift their sales and operations online to thrive in the now normal.
Vessell helps businesses increase productivity by providing them with well-designed sites and e-commerce tools to build their own online store. It also takes care of business-critical tasks like validating payments, booking deliveries, and syncing inventories from system to system. Additionally, businesses can even work with the Vessell team in creating customized features that meet their needs, allowing them to focus on growing their company instead.
According to Alex Pelayo, the product manager who is spearheading Vessell, the new platform allows business owners to create opportunities out of the chaos brought on by the pandemic. For instance, businesses can reach a wider audience through nationwide delivery. “Whereas a brick-and-mortar store limited businesses to selling only within their vicinity, now a customer can come from anywhere in the Philippines,” Pelayo explained. “With Vessell, businesses get better visibility on inventory across multiple stores to ensure the efficient fulfillment of orders no matter where their customer lives.”
Pelayo shared that Vessell was created and primed especially for the Philippine market, and even boasts dedicated teams that can help businesses from inception to launch. “We were able to provide that level of support because we have a team dedicated to e-commerce.”
Yondu believes that payment gateways and delivery should be available out of the box. One of the many challenges that businesses face is not having the expertise, knowledge or even time to set up these things. When working with other platforms, they would still need to go through several steps before they can connect with couriers and payment gateways.
Fortunately, Vessel is already automatically integrated with local e-wallets and has entered into partnerships with local couriers. “We understand that not every business has e-commerce experience,” Pelayo said. “So that’s where we step in, ready to help in any way we can.”
Currently in soft launch, this allowed the Vessell team to incorporate user feedback into the platform design. As Vessell then moves closer to its official launch date in the first quarter of 2022, Pelayo revealed that the platform’s team continues to work on tools and features that will make it easier for businesses to monitor their stores, inventories, and checkout flow.
“We understand the landscape is changing rapidly, so we’re taking a product-centric approach to development and collecting feedback regularly from users to understand what features are important to them to make Vessell relevant and valuable in the new normal,” Pelayo said.
Together, business owners and the Vessell team can work together to better understand what the business needs and offer the best plan based on a business’ requirements.
Overall, Yondu’s Vessell platform promises to be an efficient and cost-effective aid in helping businesses thrive in the increasingly competitive world of online selling, allowing them to focus on other important aspects of business like increasing sales or providing customer support. With the country’s retail and e-commerce landscape constantly evolving, Vessell is ready to equip business owners to navigate the now normal.
Businesses interested in signing up for the Vessell platform can get in touch with its team through the official email marketing@vessell.ph.
