Examining the global opportunities for Indonesian D2C brands

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Hello reader,

At some point in your life, you’ve probably thought about just traveling around the world with nothing to care about. Perhaps it was your retirement dream, or maybe you were thinking about taking a gap year in university. You’ve probably already come up with a list of top destinations to go to.

Me? There was a time when I would’ve loved to go to Rocklands in South Africa – the sprawling fields and amazing night sky (that I’ve only seen in photos) look absolutely mesmerizing.

Whatever the case, the idea of being a jetsetting go-getter that’s taking in new experiences every day and broadening their horizons has always been an appealing idea to most people. It appears that this also applies to businesses.

In today’s story, we explore how Claude and other Indonesian D2C brands are testing the overseas waters and see how that’s working out for them.

Today we look at:

• How it’s all about “now” for Indonesian D2C brands’ global aspirations
• The road ahead for Singapore stablecoins
• Other newsy highlights such as SoftBank selling a small stake in Delhivery as well as East Ventures and Temasek Foundation’s new competition for greentech startups.

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Flying high

Image credit: Timmy Loen

When I first opened this article, the picture at the top immediately caught my attention because at first glance, it appeared to be a photo of a typical clothing store in Singapore. The design, colors, and layout seemed to carry much of that vibe. Imagine my surprise when I realized that the store belongs to Jakarta-based firm Claude – it’s the brand’s first international branch, located in Singapore.

Read on to find out what Claude – and other Indonesian D2C brands – are doing to push their international expansion goals.

• Join the party: Expanding to Singapore has reaped great benefits for Claude, as online revenue from the country has grown 80% since its store opening last year. The same can be said for Jakarta-based shoe brand SevieyanaShoes, which began selling its products to customers in Singapore late last year – the city-state now makes up 30% to 40% of the label’s customers.
• Challenges ahead: The rewards are promising, but succeeding in a new market is going to take a lot of work. Customers in Singapore have different expectations compared to those in Indonesia, particularly in terms of culture and customer service. Add on the need to build brand equity, logistical challenges, and potential language barriers, and it’s easily apparent that international expansion is no walk in the park.
• Make it on-demand: Managing its inventory will be critical as Claude expands internationally. Adopting Shein’s playbook, it produces new designs in small batches then adjusts the manufacturing based on market demand.

Read more: For Indonesian D2C brands aspiring to go global, the time is now

Slay, Singaporean stablecoins

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