Indonesia’s biggest annual National Online Shopping Day, locally known Harbolnas, will showcase local agricultural products. This, accordingly, is its pioneering time to showcase such products.
The 9th event in its series will, for the very pioneering time, include local farmers and fishermen for groceries shopping in its online shopping fair. During December 11 to 12, the government targets USD 570 million worth of transactions.
“This year, for the very first time, National Online Shopping Day will include some e-commerce platforms, Tani Hub, Brambang.com, and Sayur Box, to provide agricultural products,” Trade Minister Agus Suparmanto told reporters on Monday.
The government believes that such local products would be capable of competing against global products. Thus, the expectation arises is to promote the products to global markets as well.
In addition, the first day of the festival, December 11, is specifically dedicated to local and SMEs to the potential consumers. Apart from that, all 265 e-commerce platforms will also offer various discounts and promotions for buyers.
On the same event, the government wants to encourage the use of cashless transactions as well. Reportedly, Mandiri Bank and LinkAja will facilitate the platform.
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Indonesia’s 2019 National Online Shopping Day
The National Online Shopping Day is Indonesia’s two-day 12.12 online shopping festival colored with promotions and discounts up to 90%. Accordingly, in its first inception in 2012, it mostly specializes on massive electronic deals.
However, this year’s is slightly dissimilar for the introduction of local agricultural products colors the celebration. This, in addition, is a try out to investigate whether people have interest in buying such products online.
“We would like to see people buy a fish at an online marketplace,” said Ignatius Untung, the chairman of Indonesian e-commerce Association (idEA).
Untung added that people mainly know that online marketplace is a platform to shop electronics and fashion items only. For that reason, he believes that this year’s event will educate people that online shopping agricultural products is highly possible.
“Agricultural start-ups need to introduce to the consumers that people can buy fish straight from the fisherman or buy rice directly from the farmer via online marketplaces,” he added.
