Ninja Van eyes program to support live sellers

TECH-enabled express logistics company Ninja Van Philippines announced on Tuesday that it plans to launch a program aimed at supporting early-stage live sellers through seed money and skills development.

“Ninja Van Philippines plans to conduct its first-ever live-seller accelerator program, designed to equip both new and would-be live-sellers with necessary skills and seed money to bridge their business to live-selling platforms,” the company said in a statement.

Citing its own survey, the company noted that more Filipinos now view live selling as a way of bringing in new business, with 74% saying that attracting new customers is a top driver for conducting live selling.

“A secondary driver would be to increase profit, with 52% of Filipino sellers saying live selling is more profitable than just posting items on marketplaces and apps,” Ninja Van said.

The company said it surveyed 9,000 respondents across Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines on the importance of reliable delivery services for online shoppers.

“When asked about their online shopping habits, 92% of Filipino shoppers said it is important to know who the shipping company is,” Ninja Van said.

They voted for “real-time tracking” and “delivery where I am located” as their top delivery preferences for a hassle-free delivery experience.

Filipinos have the second largest average basket size at $33 per single purchase among the six markets, the study showed.

Ninja Van has an automated sorting hub in Cabuyao, Laguna, a 21,000-square-meter facility that is the group’s largest in the entire region. It can process 300,000 parcels per day, according to the company.

It has also launched a sorting hub in Novaliches, Quezon City, mainly to serve growing demand in North Metro Manila and Central and Northern Luzon. — Arjay L. Balinbin