Reporting and analysis on retail, e-commerce, and consumer trends in Indonesia, updated continuously by our newsroom.
Malaysian palm oil futures fell last week, after data from a cargo surveyor showed exports grew more slowly than expected in January. The benchmark palm oil contract for April delivery on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange dropped 0.2% to RM2,299 a tonne.…
Strong international sales ensured respectable McDonald’s results in the latest quarter as the fast-food giant encountered challenges in its core US market. Global sales slipped 3 per cent in the three months to December, to US$5.16 billion, although this was…
Eka Tjipta Widjaja, founder of the Sinar Mas Group, one of Indonesia’s largest conglomerates, passed away on Saturday, one month short of his 98th birthday. Eka, born Oei Ek Tjhong in Quanzhou in China’s Fujian Province on Feb. 27, 1921, was known as a tough…
Founders of Wisepass, Base.vn and WeFit are educated overseas, drawn back to Vietnam by its startup potential. Lam Tran, 34, is a French overseas Vietnamese with over 10 years’ experience in marketing at Google Europe. He returned to Vietnam and founded…
JD.com announced the completion of Indonesia’s first government approved drone flight – a breakthrough for drone delivery in Southeast Asia. The successful pilot opens the door for future commercial drone use in Indonesia and the Southeast Asia region,…
Japanese electronics retailer Nojima Corp has launched a conditional takeover bid for Courts Asia. The deal is conditional upon Courts Asia’s majority owner Singapore Retail Group (SRG) agreeing to the deal. Offering 20.5 cents a share for the business, the…
Japanese “okonomiyaki” pancake restaurant Chibo is launching in Indonesia this month. The opening is part of the firm’s unfolding global plans to counteract a dip in the Japanese food service market. It is partnering with local operator Jaddi Foods within…
The government is preparing to launch regulations fixing the rates drivers and riders for ride-hailing services such as Grab and Go-Jek receive, two officials said this week, creating potential obstacles for the companies’ expansion. The regulations would…
Indonesia posted a wider than expected trade deficit in December, bringing the gap for 2018 to the largest ever, the Central Statistics Agency, or BPS, said on Tuesday. December’s trade deficit was $1.10 billion, in a third consecutive month where the gap was…
The Ministry of Finance said on Monday that it will impose new rules requiring e-commerce sellers to share data with the authorities, while also stressing that they must pay taxes. Surging smartphone use and a rising middle-class income in Indonesia, home to…
Courts Asia is to close one of its Indonesian megastores. “The group decided to close the Courts Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD) City Megastore in Tangerang as it is historically not profitable and the group does not want to incur the high rental costs over the…
Fast Retailing Group has reported a decline in revenues for Uniqlo Japan against broader successes internationally in its first quarter. A sharp profit decline on sluggish sales of seasonal ranges during a warm winter in Japan has given rise to disappointing…
Starbucks has opened its largest Southeast Asian location in Bali. The 20,000sqft Starbucks Dewata Coffee Sanctuary builds on 16 years of innovation in design, customer experience and community impact for the brand in Indonesia, where there are 370 Starbucks…
Indonesia’s Go-Jek suffered a setback to its expansion plans on Wednesday after the transportation regulator in the Philippines rejected its application to launch a ride-hailing service, saying its domestic unit did not meet local ownership criteria. However,…
Indonesian peer-to-peer lending platform KoinWorks said in a statement on Monday that it has received an investment from US-based venture capital firm Quona Capital. “We’re very happy we could collaborate with Quona as one of our investors,” said Benedicto…
BBK Electronics’ budget smartphone brand Realme is eyeing expansion into Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe. The company’s online distribution strategy has brought it success in the Indian market and makes broader expansion possible, according to Realme global…
Free background guides on how retail works in this market.
Indonesia
Around 280 million people, thousands of inhabited islands, dominant convenience and warung trade, and import rules that stop first shipments at the port.
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How last-mile delivery works in Indonesia, what drives cost per drop, and how to set a service promise you can keep.
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Who the landlords are, how leases are structured, what drives rent, and how to choose a location in Indonesia.
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