Online delivery services keep local businesses on the move

CEBU, Philippines —  Fighting to survive amid a major health crisis in history, Cebu-based store operators have tapped online platforms and door-to-door delivery services to stay in business.

Asian Home, a pioneer in the appliance and furniture retail industry for the past 25 years with 15 branches in Cebu, has provided quality appliances and a convenient shopping experience to customers.

When quarantine restrictions were put up in March 2020, it partnered with Lalamove to support their operations.  Since then, many orders ranging from small electronics to big appliances continue to reach households in Metro Cebu.

“As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, Asian Home continues to improve and innovate, and aims to carry on its partnership with Lalamove beyond quarantine as it ventures into eCommerce,” said Mark Uy, Asian Home chief marketing officer.

Similarly, StorageTown, one of the largest storage facilities in Cebu, has kept its business upbeat amid the pandemic because of its adaption to online and delivery services.

“If COVID-19 persists and we are forced to do this for the long haul, then definitely Lalamove will become even more of a need not only for StorageTown but for the general public as well, especially in terms of the movement of goods,” said StorageTown Inc. president Chase Cokaliong.

StorageTown is the first state-of-the-art self-storage facility in Cebu that caters to e-commerce entrepreneurs, MSMEs, students, and expatriates who need a safe and convenient space to store files, equipment, inventories, and other items. It opened last February, shortly before the quarantine period.

According to Cokaliong, StorageTown’s outlook is to cater to the public’s need for space, to #MakeRoom for more.

“As our city and province continue to develop, space will become more of a premium and we will be here to help everyone make efficient use of their space and money,” Cokaliong, President of StorageTown, Inc.

The quarantine border restrictions proved to be a challenge for them as this resulted in limited access to their facility, added Cokaliong.

“One of our clients here at StorageTown wanted to create space inside their home due to the new work-from-home operations and wanted to send us odd-sized furniture and boxes of documents and other items. Because our client could not personally drive and go out then due to the strict movement controls, and with the volume of items he wanted to transport, we booked Lalamove, chose their small truck and chose the Additional Assistant feature, to help us accommodate that client," shared Cokaliong.

The Additional Assistant feature enables an extra set of hands to help the customer load and/or unload bulk and heavy items.

  A Lalamove business account provides on-demand, same-day, and advance delivery schedules, a dedicated account manager for support on scaling the business, and the Lalamove API Integration feature that seamlessly schedules deliveries.

Lalamove's same-day, door to door, and on-demand delivery service, all within a single app, has grown its fleet to include 2,000 motorcycles, 600 MPV 200 Vans, 200 light trucks, and continues to build its relationships with Cebu entrepreneurs and businesses and service riders.

Amid these challenging times and in the spirit of Bayanihan, Lalamove delivers possibilities faster and seeks to enable the same success for MSMEs and budding online entrepreneurs.

Lalamove was established in Hong Kong in December 2013. Today, it operates in 21 cities across Asia and Latin America, including Cebu and Manila in the Philippines. It provides different vehicle options that fit according to the needs of the customer, easy customer transactions, allows flexible schedules, and multiple bookings to help businesses of all sizes grow their reach.