* This article is brought to you by Lalamove.
PETALING JAYA, Dec 16 ― With more emphasis on online shopping during the Covid-19 pandemic, businesses have had to up their game in the delivery of their products as fast as possible to customers eagerly waiting at home.
Even more so during peak shopping seasons, like the current period.
Decathlon Malaysia is no exception, as company e-commerce director Dinan Ouyang noted that they wouldn’t have been able to cope with the frequency of online purchases without the help of logistics and delivery services like Lalamove.
“Our entire business model turned upside down. From a company that was heavily dependent on retail business, we had to suddenly shift our entire focus to e-commerce,” said Ouyang.
“There was almost 10 times the amount of online orders coming in. During the ‘11.11’ sale this year, we had around seven times more orders than usual and it was a real challenge handling the sudden increase of online orders.
“Lalamove proved to be a superb partner for us which gave us the speed of delivery we needed and also ensured the safety of our products. We’ve never received any complaints about them.”
Decathlon is available in over 57 countries with six physical stores located here in Malaysia in Damansara, Shah Alam, Petaling Jaya and Gombak.
Ouyang also said that Lalamove’s operation model is the “perfect fit” for her company, as delivery runs are able to be fine-tuned to their specific needs.
“Lalamove provides a flexible model of operation which is easily scalable to meet spikes in demand during peak days,” said Ouyang.
“This suits our needs as there are some days when we have a lot of deliveries and some when there are only a few. So, we get the speed of delivery combined with the scalability of operations based on need.”
She added that the company’s platform is easy-to-use and delivery fees are charged using a pay-per delivery system.
Its operation model also includes a range of delivery vehicles which can be selected based on varying needs, such as motorcycles, cars, vans, 4x4 pickup trucks, lorries and even refrigerated “cold” trucks.
She said that Lalamove is also Decathlon’s go-to partner for in-house deliveries as well, as the delivery service also transports items to various Decathlon outlets in the event of product shortages.
Ouyang added that Lalamove was key to the company’s ability to transport some of the bigger items they have in-store such as exercise bikes, treadmills, basketball boards, ping pong tables and gym equipment.
“Our orders for fitness and cardio equipment have gone up in the Klang Valley and Lalamove is our key partner for reliable delivery of these bulky items.
“There are even options of delivery to the ground floor or to the customer’s doorstep based on their needs for the items,” she said.
She added that Decathlon is also currently running a free shipping promotion, with no minimum purchase value required, for both in-store and online purchases.
Free home delivery will also be provided for in-store purchases of big and bulky items including exercise bikes and machines.
Lalamove provides on-demand and instant delivery courier service, offering businesses a fast and reliable service without having to manage their own delivery fleet.
The company also serves over 7,500 businesses locally with real-time tracking, multiple vehicle options and multi-stop orders also available.
For more information on Lalamove’s services, you can visit their website, or download the app here.
