KUALA LUMPUR: Prasarana Malaysia Bhd has signed a definitive agreement with British retailer WHSmith, where the latter will open stores at Prasarana’s train stations in Klang Valley, said its group strategy and transformation chief operating officer Ang Yoke Kee.
“We will be making an announcement in the next few weeks,” he told reporters after announcing Prasarana’s partnership with tech-enabled express logistics company Ninja Van.
WHSmith is a book and stationery retailer which has stores in a few airports in Malaysia. These include Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), klia2 and Senai International Airport.
The opening of the WHSmith’s store at train stations will mark the retailer’s first venture outside of Malaysia’s airports.
Globally, it has over 600 stores on the high street and over 600 stores at airports, train stations, hospitals and motorway services.
Meanwhile, Prasarana’s partnership with Ninja Van will saw the placement of 86 parcel lockers at every RapidKL Light Rail Transit (LRT) stations from Gombak to Puchong, making it the largest parcel locker network in the Klang Valley.
The lockers, known as “Ninja Box”, will provide a convenient and safe alternative for millions of commuters to pick-up and drop-off their parcels.
The launch of the Ninja Box locker network complements Ninja Van’s current network of over 550 pick-up and drop-off points, comprising partnering retail and convenience stores, across Malaysia.
Ninja Van Malaysia country head Adzim Halim said the growth of e-commerce and social commerce in the country had increased the amount of parcels being delivered to doorsteps.
However, he said for shoppers who are usually not at home to receive their parcels, alternative locations offer a great option for parcel pick-ups and drop-offs.
He said shoppers may choose to have their parcels delivered to an individually-assigned, password-protected Ninja Box located at an LRT station of their choice.
“At Ninja Van, technology and operational excellence are the bedrocks for enabling hassle-free delivery experiences and we are excited to leverage our strengths in providing next-day deliveries with the launch of the Ninja Box parcel locker network.
“Our strategic partnership with RapidKL sees us join forces together to offer millions of commuters greater convenience in sending and receiving parcels,” he said.
The roll out of the Ninja Box, which has begun, will conclude in the second quarter of this year.
Meanwhile, Ang said Prasarana was ready to woxrk with companies to establish strategic partnership for mutual benefits and boost the use of public transport services.
“With an infrastructure of 115 stations and over 151 kilometre length run of rail lines, Prasarana is in a strong position to work with partner in providing mobility and connectivity for all,” he said.