What are the services that Harilo provides and how do they benefit Nepali consumers?

Our services allow Nepalis to buy goods from U.S. retailers by using their website and make the payment in Nepali rupees (or US dollars). We act as bridge between US eCommerce sites and Nepali consumers. You can select products from popular U.S. retail websites, from eBay, Amazon, Best Buy and even from U.S. wholesalers, provide us the link and then the calculated payment and we ship the goods to Kathmandu, pay customs and taxes on your behalf and deliver the goods to you. And throughout this process, you remain informed of your transaction’s status as all these process can be tracked online through our website. Our service is safe, fun way to enjoy the enormous selection of goods available in the international market right from your computer.

 

How does business like yours, contribute to the national economy?

Most people in Nepal had to rely on getting goods from traditional importers who generally have a limited selection of goods.  If you wanted to get a product that was released recently or something that is obscure or has a small market in Nepal then the chances were and still are pretty good that an importer is not going to have it available.  Harilo helps fill in this gap. We get those goods for the Nepali consumers now. In doing so we allow student projects, business startups, and restaurants and cafes get authentic and needed items to help them make new products and complete their projects and bring their goods and services to market.

 

What are the challenges in running an ecommerce site in Nepal?

The online payment structure in Nepal is still being developed so we still do a lot of cash business.  We encourage our customers to pay online as much as possible given the options in Nepal which are basically bank to bank transfers or payment gateways who are tied to your bank account.  Having a credit card for safe and quick payments for goods and services in Nepal and a payment processor that accepts Nepali credit cards online would really help spawn a whole new set of online businesses.

 

How are you overcoming these challenges?

In addition to cash, we currently have bank accounts with all the major banks in Nepal. So, customers can transfer funds to our bank account directly without coming in person to our office.  We also use payment gateways like Payway, eSewa, and Paybill.  We try to make it as easy as possible for our customers to pay for their orders.

 

What policy and regulatory reforms can help in addressing the challenges?

The Nepal Rastra Bank doesn’t allow us to purchase digital goods for customers, such as online subscriptions, domain name registrations and kindle books (for example). This hinders online advertising by Nepali companies on Facebook, Google Adwords and other advertising opportunities. Nepali businesses need access to these global marketplaces to attract customers.

 

How do you analyze the trend of online shopping in Nepal over the years?

Online shopping is completely in its infancy in Nepal.  We will soon see a Cambrian moment with online shopping and services once proper payment systems and delivery infrastructure are in place which is already happening.  When that happens, the change will be swift just like it was with mobile phones in Nepal.