Expanding to Java and Bali, GOTOKO Achieves 47-Fold Growth

TECHNOLOGY - JAKARTA. The e-commerce platform of GOTOKO for grocery stalls is successful to achieve growth till 47-fold due to its expansion to Jawa and Bali. The joined firm of Gojek and Unilever currently is aiming more grocery stalls to experience its services.

The Chief Executive Officer & President Director of the Board, Gurnoor Singh Dhillon, explained, this second phase expansion is in line with the company's strategy to reach deeper and Win in Many Indonesias.

“We’ve received a very extraordinary response from the stall owners to the expansion carried out. This makes us excited to become the choice platform that connects underserved retailers with brand principals to encourage competitiveness, while increasing their business,” said Gurnoor in his official statement on Monday (15/8).

In supporting expansion, GOTOKO has also improved the company's infrastructure in Java and Bali by adding more stock warehouses in strategic locations; accompanied by a reliable delivery fleet to ensure the goods delivery goes efficiently.

Established in August 2020, or at the Covid-19 pandemic peak, GOTOKO is here as a platform that connects stalls with competitive products. This is in line with the distribution complexity in Indonesia, that makes stalls often not a priority compared to modern retails related to the direct goods supply from brand principals. This is shown by almost 80% of the three million stalls in Indonesia is classified as underserved retailers.

Moreover, the stalls’ existence also has a significant contribution to the national economy, because stalls are part of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector that contributes more than 65% of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The business efficiency resulting from the digitization process will also further encourage the stalls growth.

“During the pandemic that disrupted the economy and business, we actually stood with confidence in the stalls resilience as the main means of trade for the community. As a result, they can’t service only, but also can develop their business more efficiently through the GOTOKO platform. Now it’s been two years, our commitment’s still the same, namely to help the stall owners in developing their business, increasing income as well as live standards,” Gurnoor disclosed.

The same thing was also echoed by Imran Perjuangan Pohan, a stall owner in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta, who has enjoyed the convenience of goods order through the GOTOKO platform.

"During a pandemic like this, goods order through GOTOKO is very helpful for us, because the provided goods are very complete, and we also don’t need to close stalls when supplying our merchandise because orders have been processed through the application. Moreover, the price offered by GOTOKO is also quite competitive,” imran revealed.

The pandemic situation also proves that the stalls existence is very crucial. The stalls become the main means of trade for people when their mobility was limited. The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) also noted that the stalls are the main means of trade in Indonesia that reach 80% of villages in Indonesia.

Gurnoor added that currently is the right moment to encourage the stalls digitalization, because the pandemic is gradually recovering plus the very rapid penetration of the digital economy when Indonesia will enter its 77th year. As the best friend of stalls, GOTOKO believes that digitalization is the key to strengthen business, as well as the national economic growth. Moreover, in this year, Indonesia also becomes the organizer of the G20 Presidency, one of whose focuses will be on discussing the digital economy.