eCourier, the Dhaka-based eCommerce focused logistics company, has launched warehouse facilities for eCommerce merchants. In exchange for a small monthly fee, which is about tk. 50-60 for a box, merchants can now avail eCourier’s warehouse facility to store and deliver their products to the customers.
Launched about two months ago, eCourier claims that it has now over 30 merchants using its warehouse service.
Partnership with five leading ecommerce companies: Today, at a press event eCourier announced that it has entered into a partnership with 5 leading ecommerce companies for its warehouse service who will be using its facilities for their merchants and for themselves where needed. The partners are Ajkerdeal, Kiksha, Bagdoom, Othoba, and Priyoshop.
For eCommerce marketplaces, this is an interesting service to explore. They can ask its merchants, those don't have warehouse facilities of their own, to store products in an eCourier warehouse so that it can ensure timely delivery.
“eCommerce industry has been experiencing a rapid growth over the past few years. A growing number of people are now shopping online. At the same time, the number of online sellers, small and big, are growing and many of these merchants need facilities like a warehouse in order to ensure proper service. On time delivery, ensuring proper quality, service, packaging of the product are some of the challenges that hamper customer experience when it comes to online shopping. We believe eCourier warehouse can help ecommerce companies to address these challenges”, said Biplob G. Rahul, CEO of eCourier.
Why this matters: eCourier’s warehouse facility is more like a third-party fulfillment center where merchants can send their products for storage as well as post-order packaging, labeling, and delivery. It currently has one such warehouse in Banani, Dhaka and is in process of turning its 5-6 other delivery hubs in Dhaka into fulfillment centers.
This is a consequential move for eCourier for several reasons.
Logistics is one of the key challenges for eCommerce companies. As a business, it offers a big opportunity. When eCourier started in 2014, there was almost no serious ecommerce logistics player in the market. However, the scenario has changed. The competition has grown in the space over the past few years. The service standard has also improved meaningfully.
This expansion will allow eCourier to better serve its customers, build a deeper relationship and fend off competition.
It is always good to be able to contribute more to your clients business and increase their reliance on you.
Having said that, while it’s a strategically sound move for eCourier, it has some challenges as well. In reality, the warehouse is a real estate business and real estate is expensive in Dhaka. In order to make it work, eCourier has to achieve maximum operational efficiency and ensure seamless sync between its warehouse and logistics business.
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1) Further reading on eCourier here.
2) Cover photo credit: Biplob G. Rahul
