Souq.com Opens Up To Retailers With API

E-commerce site Souq.com has released an API allowing third party developers to embed its marketplace into their own site or mobile application.

The move will see retailers able to build their own branded storefront or manage their listings off the site, with Toys R Us UAE among the first to sign up.

Souq.com said it was the first player in MENA to open up its API and expects to have an active community in place over the next six months.

“We have been very successful at building a vertically integrated marketplace where payment, fulfillment and delivery are fully integrated to enable merchants to offer goods for sale to millions of monthly buyers on the platform. We feel it is now time to enable the same set of services off the platform, to grow the penetration of e-commerce at a faster rate ” said Wisam Daoud, CTO of Souq.com.

The firm also announced the creation of a fund to provide seed money to teams and individuals using the API.

“Such an ecosystem will provide vital support to retailers and small and medium merchants who want to take their business online without the need to invest massively in technology and infrastructure,” said Ronaldo Mouchawar, co-founder and CEO of Souq.com

The funding platform will launch in the second quarter of this year.

Souq said it would offer those accepted into the programme mentorship, unrestricted access to its APIs and early access to new API releases.