Like most online buyers, Genevieve is price-sensitive and a bargain hunter. As such, she sometimes searches without intending to close deals. “Acquainting myself with prices helps me budget for the time I will be ready to spend money,” she says.

Genevieve is only one in a growing list of Kenyan cybershoppers.

Slightly over a decade ago, online shopping was a remote concept to most Kenyans. It was also considered a territory for Kenyans with a fat disposable income. Not so today.

Whether you wish to buy a premium product from an overseas retailer to gift a friend or furniture for your house from a workshop in a different county, or simply to order lunch from a restaurant two blocks away from your office, doing so online is the easiest and most convenient way.

Similarly, with a smartphone, a network connection and a few items to sell, you can now become an online trader. Being a trader has never been easier.

Technology has opened up the business space for both sellers and buyers. In Africa, Kenya ranks third in terms of the volume of goods shopped online, bettered only by Nigeria and South Africa.

I love unique designs, which I can get online at a fair price. I buy mostly from overseas suppliers because price comparisons between different suppliers is easier, Genevieve adds.