Bukalapak on 1 March announced its collaboration with Trans Retail and Growtheum Capital to launch online grocery platform AlloFresh. The three entities are the major shareholders of AlloFresh; Trans Retail has a 55% stake, while Bukalapak and Growtheum own 35% and 10%, respectively.  AlloFresh commenced its business with an initial funding of Rp1 trillion. 

Trans Retail is known for its extensive product range, having more than 25 years of relationship with the suppliers and manufacturers of Indonesia’s most popular food and household products. 

“As a leading modern retailer in the country, we have always aimed to provide the best price and the highest quality experience to our customers. We are continuously innovating to give customers what they want, and looking ahead into the future and are leading the change in consumption pattern and the need to provide an omnichannel offline-and-online experience to our shoppers,” said Chairman of Trans Retail parent company, CT Corp, Chairul Tanjung.

According to President Director and CEO of Trans Retail Bouzeneth Benaouda, the collaboration brings together a combination of expertise inherent within each party from sourcing, distribution and technology to finance to become the leading player in the grocery delivery segment. 

Bukalapak CEO Willix Halim said that the collaboration will further enhance Bukalapak’s leadership in online-to-offline (O2O) offering and expand the touchpoints into a broader range of customers. “This initiative will also expand Bukalapak’s reach into the retail ecosystem as part of the company’s expansion from general to specialty platforms,” he stated.  

“By partnering with a technology player with deep understanding of online user behaviour and a financial investor that knows the market intimately, we are optimistic about the future together, especially as bigger chunks of the market move online over the coming decade,” he elaborated. 

Such capacity is then combined with Bukalapak’s strength in technology, offering over 150,000 SKUs from around 10,000 suppliers with 3-hour and quick commerce delivery options throughout Indonesia. Customers can easily order groceries either through AlloFresh online app or the website or via the Click & Go feature in TRANSMart stores across Indonesia. 

Mitra Bukalapak CEO Howard Gani said that AlloFresh is well positioned to lead the way that people would shop for groceries in future. “Customer habits are changing and we need to evolve our business to meet the new demands. We’re looking to redefine the category and be a pioneer in this space,” he stated.

“We have a unique model with a fantastic partner who knows the food retail market better than anyone and with our experience and knowledge in tech, we can really open up a big market and make large inroads – I’m really excited about it,” he added.