rm services, at Zalora Group, delved into Zalora’s platform services strategy, exploring its transformative potential and the roadmap ahead for shaping Southeast Asia’s e-commerce landscape.  The state of affairs According to Urban, Southeast Asia’s e-commerce gross merchandise value (GMV) is expected to reach $186 billion by 2025, and it comes as no surprise that brands want to tap into this burgeoning market.  “We are helping brands, both local and international, access the Southeast Asia region and its diverse customer base effectively by leveraging our capabilities in operations, data and marketing that we have built over the last decade,” he told Inside Retail. This includes its e-commerce infrastructure, such as warehousing facilities, last-mile delivery fleets, and network of third-party logistics providers that ensure a smooth delivery experience for consumers across all markets, including hard-to-reach areas.  “This enables brands to fast-track their regional growth plans and market penetration without the challenge of heavy investments,” he added. The platform According to Urban, Zalora’s platform services and e-commerce solutions provide brands with a one-stop shop and a single point of contact for all their e-commerce needs.  “This includes end-to-end operational requirements, from warehousing and logistics to setting up their e-commerce and social commerce presence, marketing activations as well as gaining access to industry-specific data on Southeast Asia that is exclusive to Zalora,” he said. He said the main objective is to empower brands with flexibility and cost efficiency while ensuring that customers enjoy a seamless shopping journey across various channels – be it through Zalora, a brand’s proprietary online store, or other prominent online marketplaces. In the context of Southeast Asia, it remains a growing e-commerce market, according to Urban. “Compared to advanced markets like China and the United States, Southeast Asia still has a lot of potential to grow with global brands entering and scaling in the region, as well as local brands evolving into regional brands through Zalora,” he pointed out. He believes the platform is equipped to scale its operations at any time with expandable warehouse and fulfilment capabilities, as well as continuous improvements in its technology and processes, especially with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Details matter Zalora’s one-stock solution and in-house order management system (OMS) are just two examples of how the brand brings together holistic solutions on its platform. According to Urban, the one-stock solution provides brands with warehousing and last-mile delivery solutions, by consolidating stocks in its e-fulfilment centres and offering a logistics infrastructure that can be used across all digital platforms for a consistent multi-channel shopping experience. He said the solution helps both local and international brands navigate the complexities of the region, overcome barriers to entry, and more importantly reach a wider customer base more efficiently and effectively. The OMS, on the other hand, enables efficient tracking of inventory movements, order processing, effective management of customer refunds and returns and accurate stock checks “We also have unique identifiers on each product in the warehouse. Similar to blockchain technology, this allows us to track even the smallest change to the status or location of an item instantaneously,” he explained. By leveraging technologies such as these, Zalora has achieved an impressive on-time fulfilment rate – over 95 per cent of the orders are fulfilled on time in Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Hong Kong and Taiwan – within the delivery time specified during the purchase.  “This commitment to timely delivery ensures customer satisfaction and loyalty, and enhances the overall shopping experience,” he stressed. Sustainability is not forgotten As always, sustainability is front and centre at Zalora. According to Urban, the brand’s vision is to be ‘people and planet positive’ and to play a role in solving the sustainability challenges that face the fashion and e-commerce industry. “Waste and packaging are key focus areas for us. Ninety-one per cent of our waste is diverted from landfills and 95 per cent of all our directly purchased packaging is made from lower-impact materials,” he said. Moving forward, the brand aims to reach a full 100 per cent in these departments. Urban pointed out that the brand is achieving a monthly recycling rate of beyond 90 per cent in all fulfilment centres. It is using 80 per cent locally-sourced recycled content in flyers at the Philippines’ fulfilment centre, and finalising 100 per cent of recycled content flyers at the regional e-fulfilment hub in Malaysia.   “We continue to advance by launching new luxury goods packaging made from responsibly sourced paper, exploring 100 per cent recycled plastic satchels made locally in Malaysia and investigating automated solutions for package weight reductions,” he elaborated. In terms of low-carbon last-mile delivery options, the brand will continue to explore additional solutions for low or no-emission last-mile delivery across all its markets.  “For instance, we are trialling partnerships with partners such as Westbike Couriers in Indonesia which offers urban cycle delivery services,” Urban concluded. Further reading: Zalora CEO: “We’ve only scratched the surface in the world of fashion”