At xcite.com they are trying to do things a little differently. Looking for the fresh, dotcom feel, they chose to set up office around the back of the Alghanim Industries main building in portacabins. The offices are open plan and nobody has a set desk. It’s a fluid work environment and this is what they are aiming for. By breaking down traditional business hierarchies they hope to achieve a creative space that encourages teamwork and a collaborative approach to this new venture. Everybody works on a laptop and is connected wirelessly, so people can up and move to another spot in the office if they feel like it. TV screens, mounted on every wall, deliver analytics keeping the team up to the minute of what is happening on their site.

The team itself is a mixture of new hires and established Alghanim staff - the new blood bringing in the e-commerce spirit and know-how, the others ensuring the values of the Alghanim brand that consumers know and trust remain.

They went live on December 15th 2011 and sales have been steadily building as people in Kuwait adapt to local e-commerce concepts. They are positioning themselves as a trusted online alternative to visiting their physical stores for people who don’t have the time or inclination to do so. They want consumers to think of xcite.com as a store in your living room. For those already well versed in ordering online, having products shipped from America or Europe, they want to show them the benefits of ordering locally; customers will receive their orders within 48 hours, orders over KD20 qualify for free delivery (KD2 otherwise) and all products are delivered by customer service representatives who will install the product and even give a demo, if required. These are not simply delivery drivers; they are fully trained x-cite staff and so can answer any questions you may have about your new product.

For those still not fully trusting of online shopping, xcite.com offer a pay on delivery service that allows the customer to place their order online without giving out any bank or card details. When the product is delivered, the customer can pay by cash, K-net, or credit card. They see this as a great way to ease people into e-commerce.

The first thing you notice when visiting xcite.com is how clean and simple the layout of the website is. A carousel informs of the latest products and special offers. The ‘Deal of the Day’ offers one deal, on one product, every day at a great price. This is an online exclusive offer. Links to the Facebook and Twitter accounts can be found at the top of the site. The site can also be switched from English to Arabic at the click of a button. The Arabic content is unlike other sites as they create original Arabic content for each product. This means full Arabic product descriptions down to the smallest detail. The language can be switched at any time and you will remain exactly where you were on the site (you won’t get bounced back to the home page).

As with anything today, social media has to be strongly present. They offer separate Arabic and English Twitter accounts and their Facebook page operates in both languages, too. Not only will you be informed of competitions, deals of the day and new product launches, but here you can also dialogue directly with the xcite.com team with product queries, for more information, or even just to say ‘hey’.

If you’re looking for a secure, trusted source for a hassle-free online shopping experience, then xcite.com is the place to go.