PETALING JAYA, May 18 — It’s been a Ramadan like no other for many bazaar merchants who have turned to digital platforms to survive during the movement control order (MCO).
The federal government previously imposed a blanket ban on all physical Ramadan bazaars nationwide to curb the spread of Covid-19, leading traders in some states to move their business online and sign up for e-Bazaar initiatives.
With health experts predicting that the world may have to deal with Covid-19 longer than expected, the question of whether such platforms are sustainable in our “new normal” arises.
Malay Mail recently spoke with several Ramadan e-Bazaar traders in Selangor to get their input on the pros and cons of going digital amidst a pandemic.
Pros: increased sales, convenience, and cleaner working environments
Muhamad Izzuddin Maaruf’s main source of income used to depend on delivering sweet treats and snacks to be sold at petrol stations.
The MCO brought that to a screeching halt and with fewer Malaysians venturing outdoors to buy food, Muhamad Izzuddin’s returns took a huge toll and he knew he had to find an alternative way to keep his business up and running.
The 31-year-old behind Santapan Kitchen is now on Grab’s e-Kitchen platform which was implemented in partnership with the Selangor state government to support micro-entrepreneurs during Ramadan.
While Muhamad Izzuddin was facing financial woes before joining the initiative, he was able to make more than twice his original target sales thanks to the increased orders coming in through the app.
“In the beginning, I thought even if we didn’t make that much money from the initiative, at least there’s some sort of funds coming in.
“I was quite nervous at the start because I didn’t have that much cash on hand, but everything changed on the first day — the number of orders coming in was like nothing I could have expected, and so far I can see I’m making more than twice my original target.
“I also feel that working through the e-Kitchen platform gives me more control and time to focus on each and every order that comes in, and everything can be controlled by the merchant including the amount of stock you have to sell each day,” he said.
Muhamad Izzuddin also appreciates that he can easily keep track of his earnings through an app as he previously never had the time to record every sale he made at the physical Ramadan bazaar.
One merchant known as Kak Ina, who took her hawker stall Warasa Corner online via Maybank’s Sama-Sama Lokal, said she’s been able to reach a bigger pool of hungry customers through the platform, thus leading to higher demand.
“The platform gave me a new stream of revenue and I did not have to purchase new devices in order to make it happen.
“It has given me visibility to the customers that purchase our food and of course, my business is now more than just preparing and selling our products so I need to manage orders and delivery all while ensuring that I keep my customers happy,” said Kak Ina.
Rosiah Abi Asri, who sells nasi kukus ayam berempah, sup bihun, and more on Grab’s e-Kitchen, said that operating from a central kitchen is safer and more hygienic than preparing food at a physical bazaar.
Going cashless has also helped her to save precious time and dedicate full attention to prepping orders instead.
“We are completely cashless and that really helps to save time on the merchant’s side.
“(A central kitchen) is also a cleaner and safer environment compared to if we’re selling at a physical bazaar.
“We’d be exposed to the hot sun and sometimes even heavy rain, and parking might also be limited with the crowds so that makes it easier for us to work and focus on the food and meet the hygiene requirements,” said Rosiah.
Cons: heavier workload and logistics hiccups
Going digital isn’t without its challenges and some merchants have faced difficulties keeping up with the increased responsibilities that come with taking a business online.
Popiah seller Mohd Rizan Mokhtar said that although there are good signs that business is booming despite the MCO, it can be overwhelming juggling the additional duties that come with handling online orders.
“Previously our focus was only on preparing and selling the food at the bazaar. Now, it’s a full process. We’re taking orders, preparing food, managing the riders, and doing customer service all at once.
“Not to mention that we need to constantly check our phones to ensure that we’ve attended to all orders accordingly.
“It is tough because orders come in around the clock, but it’s also a good sign that we are getting business,” said Mohd Rizan, who runs Mr Popia on the Sama-Sama Lokal platform.
Besides recruiting his family members to help tackle incoming orders, Mohd Rizan has had to hop on his motorbike to do delivery himself during times where there are no available riders to pick up the food.
“While I’ve partnered with multiple providers, due to the high demand, sometimes I am unable to get riders which will end up delaying all the orders.
“Although Maybank does not own the delivery partners, I do appreciate that the platform connects us to their delivery partner network which reduces the bottleneck of riders.
“I’ve also hired two riders to help me and sometimes when needed, I myself will do the delivery.”
The 38-year-old remains open to the idea of joining an online platform again next Ramadan but he still hopes the physical bazaar can make a comeback one day.
Making the transition to the e-Bazaar can also be a challenge for older traders who are not particularly tech-savvy.
Rosiah, 46, said that she had to spend a few days getting to grips with managing and fulfilling orders via an app, a stark contrast to interacting with customers face-to-face at a physical bazaar.
“This is the very first time we’re moving our business onto an online platform and it was a little awkward at first.
“The main hurdle for me in the beginning was that this was definitely a foreign experience to me and technology now is really not what it used to be during my time and generation.”
Muhamad Izzuddin added there’s extra pressure now to go above and beyond customers’ expectations since they cannot see the food in-person when ordering it.
“One of the challenges of bringing my business online onto the digital platform is the fact that customers aren’t able to see the food in front of them before ordering.
“We need to make sure that everything tastes the same so that our customers are happy.”
One sentiment shared by all the merchants who were interviewed was that finding alternative ways to ensure that their businesses would survive the MCO was crucial.
This required a sense of open-mindedness and a willingness to navigate previously unknown territory in the world of e-commerce.
“Do not miss out on any opportunities that might come your way. You need to start looking at different ways of selling your goods like food delivery services and online methods and to not just rely on one method.
“If your main source of income is affected, try to look for other alternatives, such as coming onto a digital platform as they will help you to still make a living while also making operations more convenient,” said Grab e-Kitchen laksa seller Siti Katina Azmi.
