Taking Indonesian mom and pop stores to the next level – The Executive Brief

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Hello reader,

My interest in superheroes began when I was in primary school. There was a small mom and pop store near where I lived, and the uncle manning it always had all these comic books hung up in a line. For me, that was the gateway to the world of Marvel, where Spider-Man and Deadpool were my first ports of call.

It never occurred to me to wonder about where this uncle got his supply from, and it puzzles me even more today, considering what I now know about the labyrinthine comic book industry. Still, props to the man – thank you for opening my eyes to so many memorable stories and characters.

Today’s premium article takes a look at a company that’s making it easy for mom and pop stores in Indonesia (also known as warungs) to bring in stock and expand their selection – and thus, increase their income opportunities.

Today, we look at:

• How Ula is helping warung owners sell more
• The pre-seed round of a baby food catering startup
• Other newsy highlights such as Shein’s reported US listing plans and Temasek’s latest acquisition

Premium summary

What’s your favorite thing to buy from a warung?

Image credit: Timmy Loen

Besides comic books, my childhood mom and pop store also sold a treasure trove of snacks and goodies. Jack ‘n Jill potato chips hold a special place in my heart, as do the ice lollies. Also, once I started following football, that mom and pop store was the place to go to pick up my copy of the tabloid newspaper that had the best sports coverage back then.

A wide selection can do so much for a neighborhood store – not the least of which is giving its customers many happy memories. And Indonesia’s Ula is helping the country’s warungs expand their offerings and bring in more income through its new feature.

• I’ll be there for you: Called Teman Ula – or “Ula’s friends” in English – the new social commerce service allows small neighborhood retailers in the firm’s ecosystem to offer more products than what they usually provide by aggregating demand from its customers for other products.

• Ride on time: The company’s current infrastructure allows it to deliver packages at the exact time when warung owners want them. This, co-founder Nipun Mehra says, is a very important aspect of the business, as it helps keep end customers loyal to merchants.

• Go West: Currently, Teman Ula is available in East Java, where Ula started its operations and where its infrastructure is mature. However, the company aims to expand Teman Ula to Central Java and West Java in the near future.

Baby steps