Eco Mart

Eco Mart is a one-stop online marketplace to purchase eco-friendly and sustainable products. This solutions aims to give people easy access to these products, and a stress-free shopping experience. 

Eco Mart is an online marketplace to shop for eco-friendly and sustainable products. These products range from recycled, upcycled,  house hold items,etc., basically everyday items that are ecofriendly and sustainable. This is because, we advocate for climate action, zero waste, life on land, recycling and the likes, but it is difficult to find where to get products that encourages these actions. 

This solution seeks to collaborate with existing sustainable brands in Nigeria, to use Eco Mart to sell their products whilst educating shopper/people that visit the website, on the SDGs and the benefits of the products,  by hosting and sharing interviews and articles with the brands using Eco Mart to sell. 

Eco Mart would make use of payment technologies, i.e. Visa, Mastercard, Barter etc., and Artificial Intelligence, to understand the behaviour of customers to know how to improve on user experience and products to recommend. 

In order to purchase an eco-friendly and sustainable product, the customer simply logs into Eco Mart website/app, searches for the name of product, brand or type of product. This would display the options, cost and information about the product. The customer could further go to read reviews or read about the brand.

The problem can be broken down into three:

People: Climate action starts with the humanity. Based on a study carried out by Odjugo, P. A. Ovuyovwiroye, roughly 34% of the people knew what Climate action was about. This is a problem because, if the people are not sensitized on this subject, it would be difficult to understand why we need sustainable and eco friendly products.

Planet: The planet is under threat requiring immediate action. According to climate change experts, the current level of emissions is starting to lead to  devastating consequences which will have long-term effects on the planet From extreme heat affecting millions, to rising sea levels, erosion and variable rainfalls. Nigeria is experiencing the adverse impacts of climate change.

Profit: There are existing ventures with the sole purpose of turning waste to wealth, but the low patronage of the business and low sales w eventually lead to demotivation, on the path of entrepreneurs that are advocating for eco friendly products

Eco Mart is currently targeting  businesses, ventures and companies that are creating products that are eco friendly, turning waste to viable products and using sustainable alternatives for existing products. 

They are currently underserved because a larger population is unaware of their products and services, which in turn results in a ripple effect of low sales.

Being a potential user myself, I have searched for a central place online to get eco friendly and sustainable products made in Nigeria, but it has been a stressful and difficult experience. I have also noticed the fact that a people are not aware of such products.

Eco Mart would solve this by providing an online central point, whilst increasing awareness of these products, brands and SDGs through interviews and articles on the platform.

I selected concept stage for Eco Mart, because the idea to start a business out of it has not been tested in any community.

I believe that being selected for this challenge would assist me to commence this idea and eventually make it feasible.

Software(Website and APP): This would assist with hosting the marketplace online. The website would be accessed using a URL, while the app would be accessed without URL. 

Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning: This technology would help the team understand user purchase behaviour, in order to improve services. This would also be used in analysing the users that learn about SDs via the online marketplace.

In the next year, Eco Mart plans to start with 25 vendors and reach 100,000 customers.

25 vendors over the next year to register on the marketplace and start selling their products. Hopefully, influence new businesses to launch and register with Eco Mart.

100,000 customers to visit, purchase and spread the word about Eco Mart. We also aim to educate at least 50% of the customers on the SDGs.

The impact goals for Eco Mart are as follows:

Planet: Reduction in the use of products that negatively impact our communities and planet in general. Reduce the use of these products by at least 30%.

People: Start up a conversation on the SDGs and the impact of eco friendly products. Increase awareness of eco friendly and sustainable products among Nigerians. An improvement in eco friendly lifestyle.

Profit: Encourage businesses in eco friendly production by increasing their visibility and improving their sales, there by increasing their profit.

• Increase in purchase of eco friendly products
• Increase in the use and advocacy for the use of eco friendly and sustainable products
• Increase in sales of eco friendly businesses
• Education of people on the impact of eco friendly products and the SDGs

Financial: The funds to set up the website and app are currently not available to start up this idea to become a feasible product. 

Technical: Although, I am inclined to technology, I am currently not fully equipped to start up the technical side of this idea. More professional hands would be needed to accomplish it. 

As the team leader, I have experience in volunteering with a volunteer group during my undergraduate studies. During this period, I learnt about the SDGs and developed products such as charcoal from crop waste, as an alternative to prevent the felling of trees for the production of charcoal. During this time, I joined the team to market these products but the outcome was not vertu encouraging. 

I realised people need more enlightenment, in order to understand why they should consider eco friendly products. 

I am also skilled in website design, so I have an idea of how Eco Mart should be designed. 

My marketing and entrepreneurship skills would also come in handy, to ensure Eco Mart is successfully set up. 

Eco Mart currently has no partnership, but we have some potential partners that we would be reaching out to soon.