How underdog Blibli took on the top dogs of Indonesian ecommerce

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Sometimes, being an underdog is a good thing. You can keep your head down, focus on your mission, and carve out your own path.

That’s the approach of Blibli. The Indonesia-based ecommerce marketplace has been around since 2011, but it doesn’t get as much attention as its local peers Tokopedia and Bukalapak.

Blibli and JD.id collectively processed about US$4.4 billion in gross merchandise volume (GMV) in 2020, according to a report by venture builder Momentum Works. This means that Blibli’s GMV is trailing far behind leader Shopee’s record of US$14.2 billion in Indonesia alone.

So why should we care?

Blibli’s signature strategy has been its guarantee that the products sold on its platform are all original items – no fakes. Who wouldn’t appreciate that, especially if you’re a cautious online shopper? It also targets more affluent consumers, which could potentially account for 21% of Indonesians by 2030 compared to 9% today.

Being backed by Indonesian conglomerate Djarum Group is another advantage, as Blibli doesn’t need to chase venture capital money.

For more insights about Blibli, the underdog of Indonesia’s ecommerce scene, my colleague Budi Sutrisno explains it all in this week’s big story.

— Huong

THE BIG STORY

How Indonesia’s Blibli stood up to giants via a niche strategy

Image credit: Timmy Loen

After competing with bigger rivals in the country’s ecommerce space for over a decade, this under-the-radar marketplace is poised to benefit from a rising affluent class.

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