Entering the First Year, Blibli Partners Focus on Strengthening the Omnichannel Ecosystem

Blibli has ambitions to increase grocery store owners go digital by using the application Blibli Partners. It is targeted that partners can increase to double the current position of 16 thousand stores spread throughout Indonesia.

Since its release last year, the Blibli Mitra concept is actually not much different from similar services made by competitors, such as: Bukalapak Partner, Tokopedia Partners, or Shopee Partners. Blibli Mitra opens access to digital products, such as credit, data packages, game vouchers, electricity tokens, BPJS, and train tickets that partners can sell to their customers.

In addition, there is a wholesale feature that partners can use to replenish the stock of merchandise from brand principal Blibli partners, one of which is Unilever. With competitive prices, it allows partners to get more profits.

VP O2O Blibli David Michum explained, Blibli Mitra is part of omnichannel Blibli, so it is integrated with the ecosystem E-commerce that have been established by the company, be it payment systems, procurement & logistics, to platforms online. This strength is what distinguishes Blibli Mitra from similar players.

In shipping wholesale products purchased by partners, Blibli Mitra utilizes the company's warehouse and logistics fleet, namely Fulfillment by Blibli (FBB) which is supported by 20 warehouses and 32 hubs in 15 cities. As a result, shopping partners can enjoy free shipping facilities.

In fact, he is preparing the Blibli B2C application which is usually used by end consumers to be able to connect with the products sold in it, including MSME products, to the Blibli Mitra application so that it can be sold to its customers. “Because this [Blibli Mitra] is part of omnichannel," he explained in a virtual press conference, Thursday (19/11).

The Blibli Mitra application is designed to be very light, only taking up 1,6MB of capacity. So that wherever partners are located, even if the internet network is bad, they can still transact.

Blibli's interest in entering this segment is because according to data from the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, it is stated that MSMEs have contributed more than 60% of the National GDP. The government is also targeting the modernization of 15 thousand traditional stalls go digital. Moreover, the pandemic has further boosted the grocery store business as customers limit visits to shopping centers and choose to shop for daily necessities at stores near their homes.

David continued, this trend was also reflected in the performance of Blibli Mitra, the growth of orders from partners increased by four times compared to before the pandemic. The most purchased digital products are credit and electricity tokens. While wholesale products are ground coffee, instant noodles, and ready-to-drink milk.

In the past year, Blibli Mitra has had 16 partners who have joined. All of these partners, if accumulated, serve 1 million consumers spread across 333 cities in Indonesia. He targets that by the end of this year, Blibli Mitra partners can increase to double the current number.

In order to achieve the target, Blibli has a field team tasked with acquiring new partners and routinely providing assistance to increase partners' digital capabilities. The application is also equipped with business management features, including: cash flow management, financial monitor, loyalty gamification and promotions from brand.

"In the future, we want to increase the financial inclusion of micro entrepreneurs by establishing partnerships with financial institutions, in addition to developing payment options, including COD," he concluded.