11/11: Record breaking online shopping festival
There was a bit of drama in the days prior to the annual appointment with the number one shopping event in Asia. The Chinese regulators put a last-minute hard stop to the highly anticipated Initial...
Sectors profiting from COVID-19 crisis (Part 2)
Last week we saw how some sectors actually benefited from the pandemic crisis. Although it is too soon to measure the true magnitude of the damage to many industries, some areas have shown...
Sectors profiting from COVID-19 crisis (Part 1)
It is hard to define a comprehensive timeline of the pandemic. The origin of it can be traced back to when the World Health Organization declared it officially, on March 11, 2020. In the statement,...
From zero to hero selling online (Part 3)
In this last part of the article I want to conclude by disclosing how I decided to stop selling ketogenic snacks online, despite quickly climbing from zero to 44 orders a day in only 3 weeks. On day...
From zero to hero selling online (Part 1)
Keto diet was just starting to be popularised when I decided to embark on a weight loss exercise, which in turn made me a healthier and more active person. It also helped me to lose 19 kg, down to my...
Three ways to avoid getting scammed online
Every now and then I receive a very welcomed e-mail from my Omani bank that reminds me how to stay aware of online scams. Scammers have become certainly more creative and sophisticated, it is...
Job market status after COVID-19
One of the many shifts that occurred during the pandemic has affected the job market in a — somehow — predictable way. In this column, I will focus on some of the jobs that have been affected by...
Big brands (must) go online
The global economy, with or without pandemic, has substantially changed over the past 10 to 20 years. I still remember the times when I needed to convince my clients to have a website in the early...
Generating an income online for Omanis
After my last column on digital trends in e-commerce I was contacted by several readers. Here I want to share the story of two Omani influencers, hoping to inspire more youth in Oman to find creative...
Upcoming trends for online shopping
As I keep receiving requests from my dear Omani readers to talk more about e-commerce, I came across a really interesting report recently published by Google that describes consumer behaviours in...
How COVID-19 has accelerated global digitalisation
[caption id="attachment_624303" align="alignleft" width="206"] Stefano Virgilli[/caption] The virus that took the world by storm came with plenty of terrible news in 2020, but as the clouds of the...
COVID-19: What will happen to the ‘middle-class’?
[caption id="attachment_624303" align="alignleft" width="184"] Stefano Virgilli[/caption] As the economic numbers impacted by COVID-19 began emerging in the global media, we were able to draw some...
The real meaning of disruption
[caption id="attachment_624303" align="alignleft" width="168"] Stefano Virgilli[/caption] Over the past decade or so we have been hearing the word “disruption” in a positive light. For instance,...
New trade routes for Oman
[caption id="attachment_624303" align="alignleft" width="256"] Stefano Virgilli[/caption] Last month I wrote a two-part column for Oman Observer titled, “How to launch an e-commerce marketplace in...
Beware of COVID scams
[caption id="attachment_624303" align="alignleft" width="196"] Stefano Virgilli[/caption] During times of hardship, people tend to be more scared in general, but surprisingly also more gullible and...
How to launch an e-commerce marketplace in Oman – Part II
How to launch an e-commerce marketplace in Oman – Part II [caption id="attachment_624303" align="alignleft" width="223"] Stefano Virgilli [/caption] I recently advised my Omani friend Ibrahim on...
How to launch an e-commerce marketplace in Oman
[caption id="attachment_624303" align="alignleft" width="191"] Stefano Virgilli[/caption] This column is divided into two parts and explains in great detail what are the steps needed in order to get...
Business opportunities in the post-Covid era
[caption id="attachment_619422" align="alignleft" width="166"] Stefano Virgilli[/caption] As the COVID-19 emergency seems to finally ease, we are left with a global economic crisis of unprecedented...
Post-COVID-19 road to recovery
For a prompt recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, businesses must gear up their activities. When the pandemic hit, the economy was in good shape globally. Everyone was happily spending and investing...
What programming language should Omani youth learn?
By Stefano Virgilli Back in December 2012 in Singapore, I have a vivid memory of my brother asking me the following question: “If your son was supposed to go to college next month, what would...