Malaysia is on the right track for economic recovery despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, according to Senior Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali in his recent interview with Bloomberg TV. Although the recovery is aided by several fiscal stimulus packages and the gradual easing of movement restrictions, the battle for survival among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) rages on.

With less than four weeks to go before 2020 closes its curtain, SMEs are racing against time to hit their annual sales target. Fortunately, the month of December is sprinkled with the excitement of 12.12, Christmas and the upcoming New Year. The high tide of shopping in peak season is undoubtedly in favour of SMEs, especially retailers for an extra boost in sales.

This period is a clarion call for businesses to chart their rebound from sluggish sales during the early days of MCO and gearing up for the next calendar year. SMEs from the wholesale and manufacturing sector, the main contributors of goods, are also stepping up to the plate to meet the seasonal shopping demand head-on.

However, there is another layer of complexity in this year’s peak season rush due to the pandemic. Besides prioritising marketing strategies to capture more customers, SMEs with limited resources need to strengthen their capacity in processing increased orders during peak season.

“Demand will usually skyrocket during peak seasons. To meet the demand, SMEs should review their current operational infrastructure, and how they can optimise the way things are being run. For instance, an efficient inventory management and scalable logistics system can guarantee the availability of merchandise at all times,” according to Shen Ong, Managing Director of Lalamove Malaysia.

SMEs are encouraged to harness new delivery technologies to transform their business process that is on par with the changing consumer behaviour. Furthermore, by adopting digital logistic solutions, SMEs can introduce more efficiencies and cost-optimising measures in their supply chain. Once the SMEs have ironed out the issues with their operations, it’s easier for the business owners to focus on what's important during peak season.

Now more than ever, consumers in the pandemic era are more dependent on digital shopping experience. Eight months of contactless lifestyle has shaped the way how Malaysian consumers perceive the need for faster delivery services.

A comprehensive on-demand delivery solution can support businesses from different sectors to improve operational efficiency while meeting customers expectations. Decathlon and L'OCCITANE en Provence have begun experimenting with same-day delivery to meet these demands. With Lalamove, both companies have been able to augment their internal supply chain fleet while offering same-day delivery to the customers.

“Today’s consumers are expecting better after-sale services, including faster and reliable delivery to their doorsteps. Businesses that go extra miles to fulfil their customers’ expectations will gain the upper hand and leave a long-lasting positive impression on customers,” said Shen.

Lalamove on-demand delivery platform is customisable for micro, small and medium enterprises to large MNC companies. For more information, please visit Lalamove website or download the Lalamove app to experience faster delivery from just RM4.