The tech ambitions of Indonesia’s minimarket chains

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Hi there,

In Indonesia, tap water is not potable, so many households (mine included) have a water dispenser. It’s a lifesaver, but transporting gallons of water from the store to your home can be a chore.

That’s how I found myself relying more on KlikIndomaret, Indomaret’s delivery service. The Indonesian minimarket chain stocks these gallons of water and given its presence at several thousand locations, it’s easy to find an outlet near your home (or even in the ground floor of your apartment building).

KlikIndomaret and Alfagift – a similar service from rival chain Alfamart – look to have staying power, even though Indonesia’s e-grocery players have struggled of late. They are bolstered by their well-established networks and, for Indomaret, conglomerate connections. In this week’s Big Story, my colleague, Budi, looks into the two publicly listed companies and whether a deeper dive into tech is on the cards.

Meanwhile, I examine two Web3 companies in the US and France that are putting a new spin on ecommerce enablement. Can a similar product carve out a space in Southeast Asia?

– Putra

THE BIG STORY

Examining Alfamart’s and Indomaret’s digital moves

Image credit: Timmy Loen

The companies have been Indonesia’s leading minimarkets for decades, but have since become major e-grocery players. Can they do more?

THE HOT TAKE

The next era of ecommerce enablers?

Photo credit: Rye

Here’s what happened:

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