KUALA LUMPUR: Parcel365 plans to set-up 873 Pick-Up & Drop-Off (PUDO) points to expand its business to reach more rural areas in Malaysia.
Parcel 365 co-founder Eddie Mok Yew Keong said connectivity was one of the key challenges for tackling rural areas.
Mok said to enter rural areas, the company required support from local government bodies as well in order to allow for more effective training to the locals regarding selling and buying online.
"We have been collaborating with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to deploy the parcel locker services in rural areas through the respective 'Pusat Internet Komuniti', which has been provided with internet connectivity.
"Aside from the 'Pusat Internet Komuniti', we are also exploring the opportunities to provide such services in the residence buildings of the civil servants in the rural area," he told The New Straits Times in an interview.
Mok said in the next three years, Parcel365 aimed to have 500 parcel lockers in Klang Valley and serve more than 150,00 people daily.
He said the company would be engaging with property developers to discuss including the parcel lockers as part of the facilities offered for their residents.
Parcel365 currently has a wait list of around 300 residential buildings awaiting the deployment of lockers, which will be done in stages at about 50 lockers every quarter.
"We are very confident online purchases via e-commerce have increased by 25 per cent throughout the year. Our lockers play a rather important role in easing the workload of the couriers by reducing missed deliveries and as well streamlining the first mile pickup by assisting them to consolidate parcels at one point," he said.
Mok said other immediate plans included continuing to collaborate with local e-payment partners for smoother transaction processes and exploring more opportunities for export of Malaysia's local products to China via cross-border e-commerce.
He said the company was currently in talks with a few state governments to gather merchants of locally-made products, handicraft and agricultural goods.
"Parcel365 will also assist the local merchants with packing and marketing their products overseas while discussing with Alibaba on other opportunities to leverage their ecosystem," he added.