Creating trust from the outset is the key to success for UAE businesses

When we set up AYM earlier this year – with its vision of becoming a technology disruptor, initially in the e-commerce space – we were careful to think through a framework of principles for our operations that would help us deliver sustainable success. It came back to one word: trust.

Building trust matters greatly to us as we build a sustainable business for the long-term, not just a couple of ‘firework years’. The positive impact of developing trust with customers, employees and investors are obvious and material. Customer and employee loyalty is much greater.

We have greatly benefited from working with an established brand as our first partnership. When you work with a brand like Danube, you get a front row seat in seeing how a company builds long-term levels of trust with stakeholders. As Saudi Arabia’s first hypermarket chain, for over 30 years its reputation has grown through delivering on its promise of sourcing and selling the high-quality products that its customers want, with a superior retail experience.

From our side, we have focused on three things: ability, customer experience and values.

We want to receive the strongest possible ratings for our ability to achieve what we promise and for the efficiency of our operations. AYM’s first offering, the Danube e-commerce platform, is the region’s most sophisticated ecommerce grocery technology and shopping app. Order fulfilment of groceries is critical too.

When we think of customer experience, we are thinking through how we develop real connections with our customers, by really considering their needs. We’re looking to do this through creating a superior online shopping experience through the Danube App – where customers have user profiles, tracking not only their purchases, but also their tastes and preferences. We’re also looking to help shoppers make decisions through user reviews, ratings, customer favourites and suggested purchases.

Lastly, we want our stakeholders to believe in our values and care about their impact on society. There are many areas in our operations where we will be looking to show this positive contribution, including transparency in our supply chain and worker welfare. Our long-term goal is to create 1,000 new jobs for Saudi nationals.

At this point, our most important stakeholders are our consumers – through the Danube App - and our employees. We know that engagement with them and our integrity are the two most important aspects to building trust. As leaders of the company we know that we have to lead from the front and actively involve these two most important groups in our company strategy as we live our values every day.

And with this, our journey with AYM is still at the beginning.

Majed Al Tahan is founder and CEO of Aym Commerce and managing director of Danube Online