March 17, 2016 
The 4th Annual eTail Asia held in Singapore on 2nd and 3rd March highlighted the latest innovations and investments in the multi-channel retailing channel, with the agenda dedicated to helping the Asian eCommerce industry leverage consumer behavior to create compelling customer experiences.
The event was attended by eTailers, retailers, wholesalers, entrepreneurs and manufacturers looking to optimize their operations, multi-channel sales and share insights about their businesses.
Vinculum Group CEO, Mr. Venkat Nott moderated an exciting discussion on ‘Unlocking new revenue streams for the e-commerce ecosystem: New opportunities for eTailers, Retailers, Marketplaces, 3PLs, CPGs & Online Sellers’– which highlighted the avenues for collaboration in the eCommerce ecosystem.
The dignitaries on the panel were Ms. Jesrina Arshad of PurelyB, Mr. Irwan Suryady, of Ralali, Mr. Ashish Wadhwani of IvyCap Ventures and Mr. Vipul who represented Fabelio at the event.
Opening the session, Mr. Nott spoke of Multi-Channel Retailing today, and how players in the eCommerce ecosystem had multiple opportunities to partner for growth.
Elaborating on these opportunities, he said “Recent trends show that multiple opportunities exist for all players of the eCommerce ecosystem. Sellers have the ability to sell on multiple marketplaces, easily and simply. Etailers have the opportunity to partner with retailers, to make sure their goods are picked up from store, and to sell on marketplaces, as long as their sales are not getting cannibalized. Additionally, they both have a great opportunity in cross-border commerce.”
He cited the example of Jaypore when he said, “Jaypore is an online retailer based in India, which sells to over 30 countries via its tie-ups with 3PL companies such as Enchanto and Aramex.”
“CPG companies have the opportunity to reach customers in multiple markets by working with marketplaces– to reach customers they never reached before. Retailers have the opportunity to look at online as a strategic channel. If they do that, they have a lot of opportunity, as customers expect multiple channels in terms of convenience. To unlock new avenues for revenues, retailers can fulfill marketplaces orders or brand orders through inventory in the stores. Marketplaces want to work with sellers and retailers easily – they want an easier way to go from offline to online.” He said.
Ms. Jesrina Arshad supported this point of view when she said, “Lots of brands from Australia, US and UK reached out to PurelyB. They all wanted to tap into the Asian market and but didn’t understand enough about the market or have the means to build their reach into the market. Working with us was a natural fit for them. So for a lot of really renowned international brands, it makes sense to partner up with marketplaces, with no hassles about order management, order fulfillment since it is all taken care of.”
Mr. Irwan Suryady of Ralali spoke of how technology was changing the landscape in B2B. “A lot of B2B sellers are very comfortable in the space they are in right now. By giving them new technology it helps them optimize their daily operations and sell more across the country. They get more visibility in a marketplace like Ralali, and also leverage their bargaining power.”
Taking the discussion further, Mr. Vipul explained how Fabelio is leveraging partnerships. “Fabelio is a marketplace which is collaborating with other marketplaces like Lazada, etc., to publish their products and reach out to more customers”
Mr. Ashish Wadhwani from IvyCap Ventures observed “This is just the start of the big wave of collaboration for the eCommerce industry. Add to that fact that all players need to differentiate. The whole point is how do they differentiate themselves? For that, a lot of transformation is required on the supply chain side, customer analytics, and logistics side.”
Wrapping up the discussion, Mr. Nott mused, “Essentially what we showcased here was perspective of etailers, marketplaces, and the investors, and the collaboration opportunities and how that can drive unit economics and help the various parts of the ecosystem to succeed.”
Watch the complete discussion here –
