To remain competitive in the post-pandemic business environment where online purchases are increasing, brands across all markets require a high degree of agility and reliable, speedy response time when it comes to their e-commerce capabilities, logistics, and supply chain management. Addressing this need, Locad offers an innovative cloud logistics solution that brings warehousing, packing, and shipping into one user-friendly platform for e-commerce businesses.
Locad’s integrated warehousing and multi-channel fulfillment services will boost Filipino companies’ capability to scale by transitioning their offerings online for a rapidly growing digital consumer market.
A September 2020 survey showed that more than 80% of small businesses were cautiously optimistic of growth despite the challenges. With another study showing that 91% of Filipino internet users are turning to online shopping because of the lockdowns, e-commerce in the Philippines grew by 55%, and is forecasted to rise even higher.
“Business owners and company heads are beginning to realize that there is a growing need to integrate their entire logistics and supply chain,” says Locad CEO and Co-founder Constantin Robertz. “Today’s customers widely expect their orders to be delivered safely and punctually, as a standard level of service, especially as the lockdowns and work-from-home situations have made them reliant on the digital marketplace, as well as on-demand, online deliveries.”
Locad entered the market in 2020 as an innovative third-party logistics challenger in Southeast Asia with its cloud logistics network that can orchestrate the supply chain, from warehouse to delivery, for brands that come from a wide range of industries. It has established offices in Australia, India, Singapore, and Manila. Its nationwide delivery of customer brands’ products covers 95% of the country, with 3 fulfillment centers strategically located in Taguig, Paranaque, Sta. Rosa, Laguna, and soon in other provincial locations, reducing shipping time and costs by storing products closer to online shoppers.
Robertz, along with Co-founders Shrey Jain and Jannis Dargel, leveraged their extensive experience in the e-commerce, logistics, and transportation industries to pioneer and build Locad’s warehouse-and-fulfillment digital network. Robertz and Dargel managed the operations of Zalora while Jain used to hold a senior product role in Grab.
Locad’s efforts in the country show the diversity of the size and industries of its clients: large companies such as Landmark (retail) and Payless (footwear), Kumu (social), Terranova (fashion), and Vans (footwear); as well as MSMEs like ABCD Organics (oils). One of Locad’s MSME partner success stories is KJMCosmetics, a Davao-based beauty brand with no official physical store. The brand had encountered several issues with shipping costs; deploying the Locad platform streamlined its logistics operations.
“Since partnering with LOCAD, our business could focus less on the fulfillment process and more on other aspects. As a result, there is an increase in our sales and conversion rate right away,” Janine Muñez, Director of IT Operations at KJMCosmetics, shares. Having more time to focus on sales and marketing, the brand is now a top seller in Shopee, gaining its most recent success during the 6.6 mid-year sale.
“We enable brands to scale and take their businesses to the next level,” continues Robertz. “We help them grow by closing the gap between the brand and their customers by integrating warehousing and fulfillment into one user-friendly platform. Our solutions result in a faster and seamless end-to-end transaction online with the assurance of faster shipping, affordability, simplicity, and ease of use.” LOCAD’s flexible plug-and-play integration gives brands a more granular 24/7 access into their supply chain status; as well as a secure grip in managing their inventory, data, and sales channels across different platforms in the country.
Robertz also describes Locad’s unique capability that empowers companies to improve their services to their clients: “Through our technology, brands can manage all their orders and stock from a single virtual pool across all sales channels, while benefiting from real-time visibility of sales, orders, inventory, and service levels.”
“As the Philippines slowly opens up and the economy improves, Locad's integrated solutions will enable businesses, big or small, to thrive and scale up,” says Robertz. “Strengthening their supply chain and its related services will push the brands forward and expand their reach.” For Philippine e-commerce businesses, Locad offers an all-inclusive digital platform that will prepare and help them succeed in this fast-growing e-commerce market, reaching out to customers all over the country, and perhaps even Asia.
Explore LOCAD’s services at www.golocad.com.