TANGERANG, 6 January 2021 – E-commerce enabler SIRCLO today announced that its Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), representing the total value of transactions processed by the company, exceeded Rp1 trillion in 2020.The pandemic accelerated the growth of Indonesia’s e-commerce industry, which was estimated to have expanded by 91% year on year and gained 12 million new users. Operating at the heart of the industry by connecting brands with consumers and e-commerce platforms, SIRCLO introduced several initiatives to strengthen its services in response to rising demand from both sides:

• In early 2020, SIRCLO launched SIRCLO Chat in response to the rapid rise of buying and selling through WhatsApp, or chat commerce. The solution enables sellers to integrate and display product catalogues directly within WhatsApp conversations, allowing consumers to complete purchases without leaving the application.

• In June 2020, SIRCLO announced its merger with ICUBE, an e-commerce technology solutions agency and Magento Premier Solutions Partner. The merger brought together the strengths of both companies to support more SMEs and medium- to large-scale brands in pursuing effective and efficient digital transformation across e-commerce.

• In August 2020, one month after celebrating its seventh anniversary, SIRCLO announced the completion of a US$6 million Series B funding round, equivalent to approximately Rp88 billion. The funding was used to further strengthen the company’s internal infrastructure, enabling SIRCLO to support the growing number of businesses entering the e-commerce market.

Through continued innovation, a more diverse range of technology solutions, and ongoing improvements in service quality, SIRCLO has supported thousands of SMEs, particularly in the creative sector, as well as hundreds of leading medium- to large-scale brands. SIRCLO supported clients across three key e-commerce channels in Indonesia: brand.com, through independent online store development; marketplaces, such as Tokopedia and Shopee; and chat commerce, through WhatsApp Business.

Optimistic Outlook for E-Commerce and Consumer Purchasing Power in 2021

In 2021, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected that Indonesia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) would grow by 6.1%. Meanwhile, Bank Indonesia’s Business Activity Survey (SKDU) indicated improvements across economic sectors beginning in Q3 2020. In addition, the Indonesian government had set a target to vaccinate 160 million people, equivalent to 70% of the country’s population, against COVID-19 by the end of 2021.

These economic projections and positive developments surrounding the pandemic helped strengthen optimism across the business sector. The rollout of vaccines and widespread implementation of health protocols were seen as two key factors supporting a gradual economic recovery. In light of these developments, SIRCLO emphasised the importance for brands to strengthen their omnichannel strategies in order to reach a broader range of consumers.

“Online shopping habits increased during the pandemic, and many of these behaviours are likely to continue. However, consumers ultimately value having choices. With the expectation that the pandemic would ease following the rollout of vaccines in Indonesia, we anticipated that offline shopping would regain momentum, as consumers missed the physical retail experience and the opportunity to spend time outside the home. This makes it a crucial moment for brands to deliver the best possible omnichannel experience, not only by being present across both online and offline channels, but also by integrating these assets so consumers can enjoy a more seamless shopping journey,” said Brian Marshal, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SIRCLO.

SIRCLO’s omnichannel solutions enabled businesses to deliver a more seamless shopping experience for consumers. For example, businesses could fulfil online orders using stock from the nearest physical store, helping to shorten the distribution chain. Consumers were also introduced to concepts such as “buy online, pick up in store,” “buy online, ship from store,” and “return in store.” These models offered greater convenience by allowing consumers to search for products and compare specifications online before viewing them in person at a nearby physical store.

One brand that successfully adopted SIRCLO’s omnichannel solution was Mitra10. With more than 23 years of experience, Mitra10 sold building materials and household products through 38 outlets across Indonesia, as well as through its website, which was integrated with its offline operations. Through its e-commerce website, customers could shop from the nearest Mitra10 store to reduce delivery costs, choose to pick up their orders in store, and access promotions available online. By adopting an omnichannel approach, Mitra10 was able to integrate its offline and online operations more effectively while providing customers with a more convenient shopping experience.

In 2021, SIRCLO aimed to grow its business by at least two to three times compared with 2020. With more than 600 employees, the company continued to strengthen its team through active recruitment, even during the pandemic. Since implementing a work-from-home (WFH) policy at the beginning of the pandemic, SIRCLO had organised a series of virtual initiatives to support internal team performance, alongside webinar-based training programmes designed to help business communities affected by the pandemic. One of these initiatives was SIRCLO Academy, a training programme for students and aspiring entrepreneurs looking to build successful online businesses.

“As a leading e-commerce enabler in Indonesia, SIRCLO remains committed to providing brands with the best services and solutions to grow their businesses online. In 2021, we will continue to build strategic partnerships with various partners, including Google Cloud Platform to strengthen our technology infrastructure and logistics partners to expand our distribution network. We are confident that SIRCLO’s business momentum and the development of Indonesia’s e-commerce industry will continue to accelerate, even after the pandemic,” Brian Marshal concluded.

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About SIRCLO

Founded in 2013, SIRCLO is an e-commerce solutions company in Indonesia that helps brands sell online. SIRCLO offers four business solutions: SIRCLO Store, SIRCLO Connexi, SIRCLO Chat, and SIRCLO Commerce. SIRCLO Store is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform that enables SMEs to build their own online stores. SIRCLO Connexi provides tools for managing sales across multiple marketplaces. Integrated with the WhatsApp Business API, SIRCLO Chat enables brands to sell directly through WhatsApp. Through its end-to-end channel management solution, SIRCLO Commerce supports medium- and large-scale brands in expanding into various online distribution channels.

In May 2020, SIRCLO officially merged with ICUBE, a Magento Premier Solutions Partner in Indonesia, to offer e-commerce technology development solutions and SWIFT, an omnichannel e-commerce builder. SIRCLO Store has powered more than 100,000 websites and helped thousands of SMEs grow their businesses online, including ATS The Label, Benscrub, Namaste Organic, and This Is April. SIRCLO was also trusted by hundreds of leading medium- and large-scale brands, including Unilever, Reckitt Benckiser, KAO, L’Oréal, Eiger, and Levi’s. At the time, SIRCLO had more than 600 employees, with its headquarters in BSD, Tangerang, as well as offices or representatives in Yogyakarta, Bandung, and Surabaya. For more information about SIRCLO, visit www.sirclo.com.