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If you’ve been to Jakarta, you’re probably familiar with Indomaret and Alfamart – the two biggest convenience store chains in Indonesia. But a less flashy yet equally ubiquitous counterpart is the warung – small, informal roadside stalls or kiosks that sell basic necessities like instant noodles, cigarettes, or detergent.
The country’s tech unicorns have taken notice. There are millions of warungs in Indonesia, and like India’s kiranas or the Philippines’ sari-sari stores, they’re the backbone of the informal economy. The potential of bringing warungs into the digital fold is immense, and companies need to take this crucial step to move to the next level.
While Bukalapak and Tokopedia were both pioneers, Gojek has become the space’s latest entrant after launching its GoToko service. It’s trying to make up for lost time with a splashy partnership with retail titan Unilever and hopes its logistics prowess will make a significant dent.
The question is, how big is the super app’s commitment to GoToko?
— Putra Muskita, Tech in Asia journalist
1️. Gojek’s game plan to modernize warungs
It’s a relatively late move for the ride-hailing unicorn, but it appears to be a natural progression. The key is in logistics.
2️. Vietnam’s newest unicorn has been hiding in plain sight
Vietnam’s VNLife made its money by providing technology to banks. Now it has a bigger ambition.
3️. Thunes is building a superhighway to unify the world’s payments systems
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