BANGKOK: DHL Express Thailand aims to capitalise on its growing e-commerce business by providing logistics services through a recently launched e-commerce website, Onenow.com, for Thai small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Chananyarak Phetcharat, managing director of DHL Express Thailand, said the Thai e-commerce industry has been growing at a fast clip, with annual rates of 12-13% forecast through to 2020.
“In Thailand, there are about 10,000 logistics service providers,” she said. “But there are less than 1%, or about 70 companies, operating at the international level.” Mrs Chananyarak said a major obstacle keeping Thai SMEs from growing internationally is a lack of marketing knowledge that prevents them from exploring regional and global levels.
“Thai SMEs account for a substantial proportion of the economy,” she said. “However, only 16% of them have experience in international trade.” She said DHL’s experience in dealing with international logistics and different customs procedures will enable the company to provide seamless service to these SMEs.
Onenow.com, which will be operated by a subsidiary of a Singaporean e-commerce company, comGateway, will be used for selling Thai SMEs’ products to customers in the 196 countries where DHL has a presence. Globally, DHL has achieved solid growth in the third quarter mainly from the time- definite international logistic service and business-to-consumer logistics services, Mrs Chananyarak said.
Danny Lim, chief executive of comGateway, said the use of technology and the growing trend towards e-commerce will help Thai SMEs expand product sales in the region and to the global market easily. He said the company aims for 40,000 Thai SMEs to try and use the website over the next three years.
