Indonesian e-commerce enabler company SIRCLO announced Wednesday its acquisition of Warung Pintar, a technology-based retail company in Indonesia that provides a range of digital products and services for the micro-retail (warung) business ecosystem.
Post-acquisition, Warung Pintar is incorporated into the SIRCLO Group to offer a comprehensive omnichannel solution for principals or brands, distributors, business players, to end-consumers—both online and offline, both parties said in a statement.
According to the statement, the acquisition is made possible due to SIRCLO and Warung Pintar’s mutual mission, which is to make it easier for all businesses in Indonesia to sell from various channels, both online and offline.
Taking advantage of their technology infrastructure and retail distribution network, SIRCLO and Warung Pintar will strengthen their position by leveraging the potential of the business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) model, through an omnichannel commerce strategy, which combines online and offline sales channels.
Through this latest acquisition, SIRCLO Group has a total of more than 150,000 brands served by the company (combined); more than 500,000 warung and mom-and-pop stores owners; a reach of more than 25 million end-consumers; more than 80 distribution points spread throughout Indonesia.
“With more than 8 years of experience in the business-to-business (B2B) industry for enterprise brands and entrepreneurs, we realise that micro retail (warung) and mom-and-pop stores also play a crucial role in the retail ecosystem, since they serve as the fulfilment hubs for the society’s daily needs.
“We need to improve key factors in their operations, such as product availability, the efficiency of the distribution channels, brands’ accessibility to reach partners and end-consumers, as well as its capability in contributing to the national economy. This is what prompted SIRCLO to also focus on the B2B2C business model by collaborating with Warung Pintar in our ecosystem,” said Brian Marshal, Chief Executive Officer of SIRCLO Group.
Brian added that the strategic move encapsulates SIRCLO’s larger commitment to expand the enabler services and help more business players to go digital.
According to him, SIRCLO Group aims to focus on three layers of solution pillars moving forward: 1) solutions for Enterprises, 2) solutions for Entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprise (SMEs), and 3) the new retail business model, such as warung.
In the new retail pillar, SIRCLO will focus on empowering the warung ecosystem through a variety of digital products and services to increase transparency and efficiency in the distribution channels, access to national principals or distributors, product availability, and capital loan.
Meanwhile, through the enterprise pillar, SIRCLO will provide an end-to-end customised technology platform for principals or big brands.
Further, the entrepreneurial business pillar will provide Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)-based services, including the provision of ready-to-use online stores for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
It is also noted that SIRCLO Group plans to expand the reach of fulfilment centres for principals or big brands so that end-consumers can gain more benefits—in terms of logistics and price.
Its another plan is to develop an end-to-end operational perspective by prioritising omnichannel commerce strategies, in order for brands at multiple scales to focus on their product development instead, he added.
“We believe that this strategic move will add strategic value to further accelerate the development of Warung Pintar’s products and services. Going forward, we want to open more opportunities and bring greater transparency and efficiency to all MSMEs, so that they can recover from the pandemic impact and grow together,” said Agung Bezharie, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Warung Pintar.
Agung added that the synergy between SIRCLO and Warung Pintar can help brands increase their visibility by penetrating into the warung ecosystem—as the largest distribution channel in Indonesia—so that principals or brands are able to reach more consumers.
Not only that, he also believes that this move marks a great opportunity for the two entities to bring wider impact on the retail ecosystem and Indonesian economy, especially to prepare for constant dynamic changes in the sector.
According to the statement, the acquisition of Warung Pintar by SIRCLO Group will merge nearly 2,000 employees, of which Warung Pintar will continue to operate as an independent, integrated entity as a new retail service under the SIRCLO Group.
At the management level, Brian Marshal will lead as Chief Executive Officer of SIRCLO Group, while Agung Bezharie as the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Warung Pintar, will lead SIRCLO’s new business pillar under “new retail” services.
In addition, Danang Cahyono will take on a new position to lead SIRCLO’s “Enterprise Solutions” pillar and Ferry Tenka will lead SIRCLO’s “Entrepreneur Solutions” pillar.
Established in 2013, SIRCLO is a e-commerce solutions company in Indonesia that helps brands sell online. SIRCLO offers solutions in two main categories, namely entrepreneur and enterprise solutions.
In the entrepreneur category, SIRCLO offers SIRCLO Store, an MSME online store dashboard for selling on multiple platforms (website, marketplace, chat commerce), and IbuSibuk, a solution for empowering the mother community to become key opinion leaders (KOL), micro-influencers, and resellers.
In the enterprise category, SIRCLO offers e-commerce enabler services through SIRCLO Commerce, an omnichannel technology development solution through ICUBE by SIRCLO, a B2B2C platform that provides Mother and Child products for retail stores through Sooplai, and Orami, a parenting platform that combines commerce, content and community in one ecosystem.
SIRCLO has helped more than 150,000 brands to develop their online business. SIRCLO’s solutions have been trusted by local brands, including ATS The Label, Evete Naturals, Namaste Organic, This Is April and Heytimmy Kidswear, as well as multinational brands such as Unilever, Reckitt, KAO, L’Oréal, and Levi’s.
Warung Pintar is a new retail business technology company with a mission to transform millions of fragmented micro-retail businesses, especially mom and pop stores (warungs), for the future of the Indonesian economy.
In early 2021, Warung Pintar expanded its business by providing the most integrated solution to the micro-stall business ecosystem, not only for warungs but also for brands, shop owners, wholesalers, and distributors. Since its establishment in November 2017, Warung Pintar has collaborated with 500 brands, served 500,000 retail businesses in more than 200 cities, and supported distributor networks throughout Indonesia, in the spirit of inclusiveness and mutual cooperation. Warung Pintar has received investment from a number of well-known investors, such as East Ventures, EV Growth, SMDV, Vertex Ventures, Pavilion Capital, LINE Ventures, Digital Garage, and AC Ventures.