Logistics firm expands, copes with new normal

CEBU, Philippines —  Integrated transportation and logistics provider, 2GO Group Inc., has started to expand diverse services to catch up with different demands under the new normal environment.

“We have expanded our footprint, and have increased our focus on the delivery requirements of the customers, especially around the essential goods. Lately, we have also expanded it to non-essential goods to cater to the new normal, targeting B2C and C2C,” said 2GO Group chief operating officer (COO) Waldo Basilla in an interview with The Freeman via email.

Due to lockdown, the logistics and delivery sector, of which 2GO is one of the leaders in the Philippines, noted a tremendous rise in demand as people were forced to stay at home to avoid possible contamination of the virus.

At present, 2GO is focusing on the development of new services and solutions that cater to the new requirements of the business.

According to Basilla, the company has also invested on technology and relevant skill sets to cater to the new logistics requirement. “We have also increased focus on safety and security of the employees.”

As many people who are traditionally comfortable with brick-and-mortar platform, have looked for solutions to aid both online and offline capabilities.

“We’ve seen a growth in our 2GO Express and 2GO Logistics businesses,” Basilla shared.

Taking advantage of the favourable environment especially for its line of business, Basilla pointed out that the Group will also focus on the growing verticals that meet the requirements of the new normal such as the movement of essential goods, pharmaceutical products, fast-moving consumer goods, and food.

“We are also looking to develop and enhance our operational capabilities by expanding our network, and we are building the right network to be closer to the consumers. We’re also investing on technology that optimizes and improves our costs and delivery timelines and turnaround times,” he added.

While business is doing well, 2GO is not also spared from facing challenges brought about by the changes of regulations, restrictions brought about by the health crisis.

“We adjust and adhere to the new restrictions imposed by the government. Due to the pandemic, there have been limited availability of people and capability to manufacture products, and yet we still do our best to accommodate and support brands to meet their manufacturing requirements,” he explained.

The 2GO Group at its core has five business units, namely, 2GO Sea Solutions, 2GO Special Containers, 2GO Logistics, 2GO Distribution, and 2GO Express.

Owned by the largest conglomerates in the country, SM Investments Corporation and Udenna Corporation, 2GO offers multimodal transportation, warehousing and inventory management, distribution, special containers, and project logistics. The latter covers e-commerce logistics, including last mile & express courier deliveries and a wide range of peripheral logistics such as freight forwarding, import and export processing, and customs brokerage.

2GO also provides sea travel connecting Manila and Batangas to other major ports in the country.