At Friday, May 10, 2019, Bukalapak announced its first international launch with BukaGlobal. It took the company seven years before expanding to a larger international market.
Achmad Zaky, Nugroho Herucahyono and Faijrin Rasyid founded the company in 2010. Starting in a small dormitory in Bandung, West Java, now the company is one of 4 unicorn company in Indonesia.
At the first quarter of 2018, it is the second most visited e-commerce platform in the country. A slightly behind Tokopedia and way above its region giants such as Shopee and Lazada.
Through Bukaglobal, the platform allows customers from other countries to buy goods from Indonesia. It is open in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The good supply is available to a few selected merchants in Jakarta and Tangerang.
This makes Bukalapak the first Indonesian e-commerce to go International. Its competitors such as Tokopedia and OLX focus more on competing in the Indonesian market.
Ramadhan and Bukalapak
In line with the Ramadhan month coming for Moslems, Bukalapak develops a halal marketplace. It can’t be helped as Indonesia, its main market has the world’s biggest Moslem population.
In this halal marketplace, Bukalapak, as well as Tokopedia, offers halal products and other Islamic banking products. Both e-commerce platforms announced partnerships with various Islamic banks in the country.
And at the first week of Ramadhan month, Bukalapak has seen 50% increase of traffic within the platform. This is a lot more than last year’s record. Transaction for female clothes even doubled up the previous year’s number.
Indonesian e-commerce tend to make various event in the Ramadhan month. Just like Christmas sale or Single Day sale, Ramadhan Sale is also the most crowded period of the year.
Not only sales, there are also flash deal, cashback, and free shipping promos. Bukalapak also lures customers to shop on its platform using prizes such as Umrah, motorcycles and smartphones.
