TELUK PANGLIMA GARANG, Selangor: Online booking platform for parcel deliveries EasyParcel and end-to-end e-fulfillment solutions and warehouse-as-a-service provider iStore iSend are partnering up to empower local micro and social sellers to reach their maximum potential.
Through the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed today, EasyParcel will introduce its network of micro, social and SMEs to curate packages of affordable, technological and innovative e-fulfillment services provided by iStore iSend.
The latter will then handle the transportation agreements, logistic management, as well as the supply chain and storage for the sellers' inventory.
iStore iSend co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Joe Khoo said the collaboration had long been in the making with long-time friend, Clarence Leong, who is the founder and CEO of EasyParcel.
"Over the years we have seen a steady growth in online selling in Malaysia and data has shown that we now have over a million micro and social sellers who are selling over social media such as TikTok and Instagram," said Khoo.
"These sellers are managing their businesses from scratch without much help when it comes to handling inventory and those who achieve success then face difficulties in upscaling as they do not have the resources to fulfill higher online sales orders and storage for inventory," he continued.
Leong added that even with a great fulfillment system, e-commerce was nothing without logistics.
" Customers expect their items to be delivered as immediately as possible after placing the order, while also wanting the best deals. Achieving this requires a substantial amount of manpower, as well as space and time management especially as delays could spurn away existing and potential customers, " he said.
Through the collaboration, micro sellers can opt for packages with prices ranging from RM88.80 to RM128.80.
Each package will include inbound, pick and pack, and delivery services bound together.
"This collaboration is crucial as the vast technical and technological offerings available at iStore iSend will allow Malaysian micro sellers to scale their businesses faster, which will be further complemented by the ability to choose from their preferred delivery partners. By taking away a huge weight off their shoulders, business owners can focus on what is really important - managing and growing the business," said Leong.
Khoo said both firms were bullish on the capabilities of micro and social sellers to scale up their businesses.
"Right now, we have some 500 customers which we are managing and 80 per cent of that could be categorised as small businesses who, with good management, good fulfillment system and good last mile delivery will eventually become bigger. We want our customers to grow because when they do, so will we," said Khoo.
iStore iSend and EasyParcel are Malaysian investee companies of pan-Asian venture capital firm, Gobi Partners.
EasyParcel has served over 700,000 customers since its founding in 2014, while iStore iSend has expanded its reach beyond Malaysia to now include Singapore, Indonesia and China.