Lazada Malaysia has launched a stimulus package to aid local small and medium enterprises (SME) from April to June 2020, as part of its ongoing corporate community commitment. The “Pakej Kedai Pintar” cash fund, starting with RM10 million, aims to help SMEs sell online, stabilise jobs and support the country’s economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This initiative is targeted to help an estimated 50,000 local SMEs via a series of customised benefits, especially those in the fresh food and groceries categories, new and existing eCommerce sellers, and brick-and-mortar retailers, including those who were planning to set up stalls for Pasar Ramadhan.
These eligible SMEs will be able to enjoy free shipping services and receive fixed weekly payments, as well as the services of a dedicated support team to onboard, train and develop customised sales campaigns with them through Lazada University. SMEs will also be entitled to zero commission and zero listing fees, on top of access to micro loan facilities.
Through this initiative, SME retailers that are new, or have little experience in eCommerce can expect 100% of their costs of selling online covered, and be able to quickly diversify their revenue streams beyond traditional bricks-and-mortar model on a platform where one in three Malaysians are Lazada users.
“We want to reach out to anyone who has a business. Without any payment or charges, you can continue to run your business while benefitting from Lazada’s eCommerce expertise and robust logistics infrastructure.”
Leo Chow, chief executive officer of Lazada Malaysia.
Earlier in March, the eCommerce platform reached out and helped local agricultural businesses, including vegetable farmers and fishermen, to digitalise and to match urban demand for fresh produce and groceries during the Movement Control Order. Cameron Highland farmers, who onboarded the platform in less than 48 hours, were able to sell 1.5 tonnes of vegetables to nearly 200 households on a single day.
From April to June, SMEs can sign up HERE and have 100% of capital costs waived. Lazada will work with SMEs to curate and list products for up to four months, participate in promotional campaigns, fulfil orders and analyse sales and traffic data.
Through its ongoing partnership with the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (MDTCA) established in August last year, Lazada is committed to rollout new trade activities and training programs to increase the adoption of eCommerce amongst local SMEs, and support the Government’s “Buy Malaysian” campaign.
