The Zoho support team made the transition from Sites to Commerce seamless, and it fit into our existing infrastructure. We are thrilled to see Zoho Commerce included in the Zoho One package. Choosing Zoho to run our business processes is one of the best decisions we have made.
- Mejo George, co-founder, The Jack Man
The Company
The Jack Man is an Australia-based organic business run by life partners Mejo and Thamali George. Having grown up in the Indian sub-continent where jackfruit grows in abundance, they were intrigued by how popular the tropical fruit was becoming worldwide.
Having been familiar with a fairly simple village lifestyle, sustainability came rather easily to the Georges. While spending time in their ancestral homes during their holidays, the duo saw that organic farming was slowly making way for mass cultivation, and that a huge part of the organic produce was going to waste. This inspired them to develop a product that would help minimize waste, provide support, empower, and reinforce faith in organically grown jackfruit produce. Tapping on the power of jackfruit, the duo founded The Jack Man in 2018 to sell a wide range of jackfruit products.
The Challenge
As they set out, the biggest challenge was to find a manufacturer with a world-class facility who was willing to process jackfruit to their specifications. "It was also important that the manufacturer was based in southern India where we harvest our fruits," says Mejo. "This was to limit our carbon footprint and maintain the quality of the product. It took us a good amount of time and convincing to find a partner who had faith in our vision and, at the same time, was aligned with our mission and values."
Initially, The Jack Man was run solely through offline channels. But around 2019, the team decided to get into ecommerce. The pandemic and a series of lockdowns in Australia gave momentum to their foray into ecommerce in 2020-21.
"There wasn’t any product that fit our budget and streamlined our entire business processes," says Mejo. "After a lot of research, we implemented Zoho One at The Jack Man."
The Solution
To build their ecommerce business, the team went with Zoho Commerce, which was an add-on to their existing Zoho One package. "When we implemented Zoho One, we were aware that Zoho provided an ecommerce tool called Zoho Commerce," says Mejo. "In just a few months, we implemented Zoho Sites and then moved to Zoho Commerce. The Zoho support team made the transition from Sites to Commerce seamless, and it fit into our existing infrastructure. We are thrilled to see Zoho Commerce included in the Zoho One package."
The Jack Man's website educates and engages with its customers using an interesting mix of content
Benefits and ROI
Today, ecommerce is a crucial component of The Jack Man. "It has helped us enhance our product visibility to a wider market, especially when the physical reach is limited," says Mejo. "Ecommerce has also allowed us to leverage the large audience that comes through marketplaces that we have partnered with."
The Jack Man team began right at the beginning with Zoho and stuck to it. "The team at Zoho is actively staying on top of the game by implementing new modules and making necessary improvements as required," says Mejo. "Choosing Zoho to run our business processes is one of the best decisions we have made."
The Jack Man's website is quite exhaustive in building a case for its products. From the specialties of jackfruit to recipes, a conscious effort seems to have been made to educate the customers. "We are blessed to have a team that clearly understands our vision," says Mejo. "When the team is clear about what we are trying to achieve and does it with love and passion, things fall in place."
Looking Ahead
The Jack Man caters to the food service and retail sectors in Australia, and a lot of interest if being expressed in the US and Europe. Health and superfoods have been much sought-after in the post-pandemic world, and Mejo is clear about the direction the company is taking. "Our focus has always been on providing a healthy alternative. There has been renewed focus on health and wellbeing, and this is helping us get through to a wider audience as people are exploring healthier options."
Things are looking up for The Jack Man and Mejo is excited about the road ahead. Jackfruit has also become popular among vegans across the world because it mimics the texture of meat. "These are exciting times, and we have many products in the pipeline. There is significant interest from overseas markets, and we will be exploring them in the coming year."