In an effort to expand beyond its strong B2B foundation, AlMaktaba AlSagheera launched a full-scale B2C e-commerce platform in 2022, enabling customers across Egypt to order books and stationery directly to their homes. Overseeing the initiation, market research, development, and launch phases, I led the effort to turn a traditionally brick-and-mortar-dominated market into a viable online experience.
Finding the Opportunity
The decision to enter the B2C space was not made lightly. Initial market studies revealed two key challenges:
- Stationery and book sales in Egypt remained deeply rooted in physical retail.
- Consumer behavior around online purchases in this category was not yet fully mature.
However, deeper research uncovered an opportunity gap. Specialized stationery products were often unavailable in neighborhood stores, and busy parents were increasingly looking for convenient ways to buy school supplies in bulk. With fixed shipping costs and streamlined order processing, we identified a viable business case that balanced both convenience and product diversity.
The Dual Role of the Website
While direct consumer sales were one primary goal, the website was also designed to serve another strategic function:
A showcase for B2B partners.
Through the platform, potential supermarket and retail partners could:
- Explore our product range
- Evaluate pricing models
- Observe our product photography and content quality
- Understand our logistics capabilities
The site acted as a living brand portfolio, strengthening our position in B2B negotiations and marketing.
Infrastructure Overhaul
To support the platform, we restructured our inventory system from the ground up. This involved:
- Redesigning internal reference numbers to reflect product category, subcategory, item number, and variation.
- Integrating the updated structure into our Odoo ERP system, allowing for synchronized operations between warehousing, sales, and product listings.
This foundational work solved major logistical challenges and positioned the company for scalable online operations.
Back-to-School Feature
A standout feature was our Back-to-School custom order system, designed specifically for parents responding to school-issued stationery lists. Through a support ticket submission, parents could upload their childโs supply list. Our team manually matched each item with products in our catalog, generated a sales quotation for the full package, and applied conditional discounts.
This service directly addressed a major consumer pain point and positioned AlMaktaba AlSagheera as a thoughtful, family-focused brand.
Investments in In-House Capabilities
To deliver a seamless and branded customer experience, significant internal investment was made across multiple departments:
- In-house product photography for consistent visual identity
- Custom support ticket system to process specialized orders
- Tailored ERP enhancements for stock, fulfillment, and pricing automation
- Website development and UX design
- Shipping and fulfillment integration with real-time updates
Closure and Strategic Pivot
Despite steady operations and meaningful engagement from 2022 to 2025, the e-commerce platform was eventually shut down. The decision came during a period of economic turbulence in Egypt marked by significant currency devaluation, rising inflation, and unpredictable import costs.
While the original market study accounted for many logistical and consumer behavior factors, it could not have predicted the scale of macroeconomic disruption. As a result, the cost-to-revenue ratio in the B2C model became unsustainable.
In 2025, the platform was transitioned into a lighter version, dedicated solely to its secondary purpose:
a branded showcase and catalog for B2B clients.
This pivot preserved the brand presence and ensured continuity for core clients, while allowing the team to pause and re-strategize for a future B2C relaunch when market conditions stabilize.
