Through CrediMart, CrediBook Wants to Digitize More Conventional Wholesalers

In the midst of many startups that want to digitize MSME business processes, CrediBook offers a slightly different solution, namely focusing on empowering conventional wholesale businesses with a supply chain technology approach through CrediMart services. The solution presented is considered not to disrupt the supply chain, it actually helps them in increasing their sales capacity.

Co-founder & CEO CrediBook Gabriel Frans explained that his party sees the wholesale sector as agnostic, in the sense that there are many product categories that wholesalers can sell. Therefore, this strength is the basis for CrediMart to reach more wholesalers from more business sectors.

“[CrediMart's] product sector is agnostic. As long as wholesalers sell their goods to retailers, they enter the CreditMart segment because we don't cut suppliers. So it's not limited to stalls," he said at a virtual press conference last week (26/11).

Since CreditMart was released in September 2021, has also collaborated with more than 50 conventional wholesale stores spread across 14 cities in Greater Jakarta, West Java, East Java, and Central Java. They are mostly wholesalers for grocery and food stores which can be said to have the highest demand in the retail industry.

CrediMart Solusi Solutions

CrediMart service departs from the condition of conventional wholesale stores which experienced an average decrease in sales volume of up to 20%. In addition, CrediMart's presence is also motivated by inconvenient conventional wholesale store services, such as long queues, limited retail customer service range between 10 km-15 km, limited payment methods, and potential losses of up to 30% caused by poor stock management. .

Therefore, CrediMart provides three supports for conventional grocery stores. First, digital capacity in the form of a dashboard online ordering (to make it easier for wholesale stores to receive orders and stock management) and online stores via CrediMart (to increase new retail customers online) online to simplify the shopping process and increase the convenience of grocery shopping).

Next, logistical support in the form of a CrediMart Assistant who will pick up goods from conventional wholesale stores to be delivered to retailers within 1x24 hours. Finally, the flexibility of payment using the tempo method, to answer the needs and support the retailer's cash flow management, because conventional wholesale stores have limited capital to provide overdue payments.

“Almost all [retailers] use paylater, they can still maintain their behavior. The tenor depends on the sector, for FMCG the tenor can be seven days because turn over ratesis high. Sometimes there are retailers who often stock up, the value of their purchases can be Rp. 700 thousand-Rp. 1 million, but there are also those who rarely stock, but one time they spend up to millions.”

Payment trends with paylater This, according to Gabriel, will last, even predicted to be heading towards the trend of cashless as bank penetration will gradually increase.

He continued, the impact of CrediMart for conventional grocery stores after joining is that they can increase turnover, some even increase up to 50% per day; its retail customer reach extends to a radius of 25 km-50 km; the number of unique retail consumers increased by 56%; and, stock management is more streamlined, thereby minimizing the buildup of stock items.

Meanwhile, for retailers, their shopping experience becomes more comfortable because it is enough to open the CrediMart site without having to come to a physical store; faster stock process; and they are more flexible in managing cash flow with the maturity payment method.

CreditMart also includes the CrediBook digital bookkeeping solution to make it easier for wholesalers to manage financial records. “There is a close relationship between wholesalers and retailers, we went in to bridge their needs. Therefore, CrediMart is suitable for use. We are confident with impact that we brought."

The next step, Gabriel will expand the scope of partnerships with wholesalers located in East Java, and outside Java, such as Bali, Nusa Tenggara, and Sumatra. Then, expand the category of merchandise, such as crafts, fashion, cottage industries, and building materials.

In recruiting wholesale partners, his party established a number of criteria, including the capability of partners in handling incoming orders to be the best so that retailers get the best service from CrediMart, then offer the best prices, and an affordable location with a logistics fleet.

In the realm of digital bookkeeping for MSMEs, CrediBook competes with BukuKas, BukuWarung, and many more. Beyond that, more and more companies are providing a variety of digital solutions to make it easier for MSMEs go digital from various aspects of the business.

According to data from the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises, out of 64,2 million MSME units, only 19% of them have entered the digital ecosystem. The government itself targets 30 million MSME units to enter the digital ecosystem by 2024. Here MSME solutions provided by startups.