J&T Express rides ecommerce boom en route to global domination

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Hi readers,

I don’t think I’m the only one who’s been shopping online more often amid this pandemic. As we go through lockdowns and work from our homes, ecommerce seems like the best choice for buying anything and everything.

Waiting for packages to arrive has become one of my new hobbies lately – and maybe many others feel the same way.

That’s why ecommerce growth continues to rise at a time when several industries are fading. Logistics and other sectors closely tied to ecommerce also do not appear to be in a slump.

Logistics providers are actually getting busier as more people do their shopping online. This explains why companies such as J&T Express – an Indonesia-based startup strongly affiliated with Chinese smartphone vendor Oppo – are daring to spread their wings outside its home turf.

After venturing into other Southeast Asian countries as well as China, J&T has officially landed in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are the company’s first two markets in the region.

However, the pandemic is not the only factor that drove J&T Express to go global in such a short time. Its business strategy is also vital to realizing this international ambition.

Still, a big question awaits J&T Express: Can its strategy be sustainable in the long term?

— Jofie Yordan, journalist at Tech in Asia

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