E-commerce Transactions Grow 18 Percent amid Pandemic

Indonesian Forwarders Association (ALFI) chairperson Yukki Hanafi said Monday that logistic activities during the coronavirus pandemic were able to survive and even posted a positive growth in the e-commerce logistics and courier services.

“This is caused by the many people who continue their routine activities at home, transactions continue in online platforms,” said Hanafi on Monday, October 16.

Citing the records provided by the Finance Ministry, the logistics segment remained relatively stable throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and even saw e-commerce purchases grow 18.1 percent to 98.3 million transactions with a total value of Rp20.7 trillion, which is a 9.9 percent growth.

This positive trend was echoed by JNE courier service’s main branch leader in Solo, Bambang Widiatmoko, who said deliveries climbed by 30 percent from March to April, which were the early months when the pandemic officially hit Indonesia.

The logistic nightmare during the early months of the pandemic was the temporary grounding of numerous commercial flight routes, all while land delivery services had seen an increase.