There aren't many people who have not heard about or shopped on DigiKala in Iran. In no more than two years, Iran’s leading e-retailer has successfully established itself and built a strong reputation internationally.
Through quality services the company has won the trust of customers and is now known as an Iranian startup of international fame.
Given DigiKala's main focus – electronic sales –customers had been wondering whether or not the owners plan to release a mobile version as well.
On Friday, the company launched its app on Cafe Bazaar (the largest Persian Android application store) without any fanfare, according to Digiato.
The mobile app which, for now, has been released only on Android, is free to download and allows users to access most features on the website's desktop version. Whether or not the app will extend to other platforms, is yet to be seen.
Just like the website, the app's user interface is well programmed and minimally designed, fonts are easy to read, and users can smoothly navigate between menus that are void of any unnecessary frills. The app has been downloaded more than 5,000 times in only two days and received a 4.7 out of 5 rating by 362 users, at the time of writing.
Features
Special offers and best sellers are shown on the homepage. There is a drop down menu on the upper right hand corner where you can log in or sign up; if you are new to DigiKala you can create a new account on the app. You can also use the drop down menu to shop by department and check your purchase history.
The advance search feature allows users to narrow down and organize search results using filters. Once items are added to the shopping cart, the payment will be completed in a browser of your choice.
Unlike the website, the app does not include features such as comments, multiple item comparison and videos.
Prior to this Android app, most Iranian users wishing to view the large e-retailer would only have the desktop option.
The company hasn’t announced whether it plans to make a mobile friendly version of its website, considering Google’s policy change favoring mobile devices over traditional desktops, however if they don’t their competitors may finally have an advantage over their offering.
