Transcosmos buys 30% of Vietnamese ecommerce site Hotdeal

Japan-based outsourcing giant Transcosmos has acquired 30 percent of Vietnamese daily deals site Hotdeal for an undisclosed sum.

In a statement today, Transcosmos says the deal allows it to pass on its ecommerce know-how to Hotdeal and offer the products and services of its clients in Japan to consumers in Vietnam.

Following the transaction, Hotdeal’s operations will merge with those of Transcosmos in line with their goals to expand in the ASEAN region.

“This partnership will introduce Hotdeal to international brands, transfer Transcosmos’ know-how in ecommerce and […] its cross-border trading capabilities so we can provide high-quality products and great shopping experiences to the customers,” said Hotdeal founder Nguyen Thanh Van An.

3 million shoppers

Launched in December 2010, Hotdeal claims to operate the largest daily deals site in Vietnam, with 3.1 million unique monthly users and about 2.5 million members. It also owns travel site Yesgo.

Hotdeal sells a wide range of items such as clothes, home electronics, accessories, toys, health and beauty products, books, and daily necessities. It also sells vouchers for restaurants, spas, travel tours, and other services.

The Vietnamese startup is the latest ecommerce company to join Transcosmos’ portfolio after Philippine daily deals site Metrodeal, Thai ebook firm Ookbee, Singapore cosmetics ecommerce shop Luxola, and Indonesian fashion ecommerce business Berrybenka.

Transcosmos is principally engaged in outsourcing. It provides call center, business process outsourcing, and digital marketing services, including inbound and outbound, fulfillment, support desk, web integration, marketing research, and more. In 2014, it expanded its services to specifically cater to the ecommerce industry, providing end-to-end ecommerce solutions.

See: Transcosmos acquires MetroDeal at a valuation of $30M