BoxCommerce, a UAE-based e-commerce platform, has launched its solution aimed at tapping into the country’s rapidly growing mobile commerce market and addressing the gap in user-friendly e-commerce solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Founded in 2019, the company provides a range of tools for building online stores, managing inventory, processing payments, and handling logistics.
After expanding into Kenya in 2022 and onboarding more than 5,400 merchants in its first year, BoxCommerce has extended its operations into South Africa and Indonesia. The UAE serves as a strategic entry point for the company, offering a lucrative market with strong consumer demand but limited tailored e-commerce solutions for local businesses looking to scale.
The UAE’s e-commerce market is projected to generate $8 billion in revenue this year and exceed $10 billion by 2029. “The UAE is a strategic market for BoxCommerce,” said Craig Mcleod, CEO and founder of the company. “With mobile commerce dominating and over 70% of the population shopping online, the country is poised for significant growth, and our platform is designed to help local businesses tap into this explosive opportunity.”
BoxCommerce’s platform enables SMEs to set up online stores in minutes without requiring technical expertise, supporting sales across websites, social media, and marketplaces. Rahul Vaish, MENA Director of BoxCommerce, noted that despite having around 600,000 SMEs, there are very few e-commerce solutions in the UAE designed to help these businesses scale. SMEs represent 94% of the UAE’s companies and employ over 86% of the private sector workforce.
BoxCommerce has also joined MasterCard’s Startup Engagement program and participated in Facebook’s Commerce Accelerator in 2020. The company aims to become the go-to platform for merchants in emerging markets, providing omnichannel retail solutions with minimal technical complexity.
