Jarrolds Logistics, part of the APC delivery network, has opened a new 2,787m2 depot in Norwich in the UK, which will support the company’s growing business in next-day parcel delivery, warehousing and fulfillment services.

The new site increases the company’s operational capacity by over 35% and brings Jarrolds’ services under one roof to enable greater efficiency.

According to the company, the expansion is a response to sustained business growth driven by increasing demand from SMEs and large businesses across the region.

Mary Wisbey, managing director of Jarrolds Logistics and Jarrolds Facilities Management, commented, “This move represents a significant strategic advancement, enabling us to operate more efficiently, reduce mileage that minimizes our environmental impact and creates local employment, all while enhancing the quality of service we deliver to our clients and customers.

“Since joining APC [in 2023], we’ve been committed to developing a logistics operation that stays true to our local heritage. The launch of our new Norwich depot is a major milestone in that journey. With its central location, added capacity and increased flexibility, the depot empowers us to better support local businesses across the region.”

The Norwich site employs a 30-strong local team, including 20+ drivers and dedicated operations and customer service teams. As demand grows, Jarrolds Logistics said it plans to expand the team to support new service offerings, such as warehousing and fulfillment for e-commerce clients.

Author Credits- HAZEL KING, Parcel and postal technology INTERNATIONAL

Jewellery retailer Kalyan Jewellers has partnered with Instamart for its entry into the quick commerce segment ahead of Akshay Tritiya festival.

With this partnership, Instamart will sell certified gold and silver coins through its platform offering doorstep delivery in minutes across 100 cities including top metros.

The exclusive range includes gold coins in 0.5g and 1g featuring motifs like Ayodhya, Lord Ganesh, Swastik and Goddess Lakshmi.

Commenting on the partnership, Amitesh Jha, CEO of Instamart in a statement said, “We’re excited to welcome Kalyan Jewellers to our platform ahead of Akshaya Tritiya. With more customers embracing the convenience of quick commerce for festive and traditional purchases, this partnership is both timely and relevant.”

Ramesh Kalyanaraman, executive director at Kalyan Jewellers added, “Through our collaboration with Swiggy’s Quick Commerce platform, Instamart, we are making it easier than ever to buy Kalyan gold and silver coins. This partnership allows us to integrate the auspiciousness of tradition with the ease and speed of modern living, ensuring the spirit of the festival remains.”

Post Akshaya Tritiya, Kalyan Jewellers gold and silver coins will continue to be available on Instamart as part of their regular assortment.

Author Credits- Maverick Martins, FASHION NETWORK

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Alshaya Group, one of the world’s leading international retail franchise operators announced the launch of the Alshaya Retail Academy aimed at training young Saudi men and women on the latest retail industry concepts and practices, in KSA. The academy was launched in partnership with several leading government entities, including the Human Resources Development Fund.

By providing newly employed Saudi nationals with essential hands-on and theoretical training, Alshaya Retail Academy will directly contribute to the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. This initiative not only prepares youth for successful retail careers, but also strengthens the national economy by enhancing their competitiveness in the global job market. The launch of the academy aligns with Alshaya’s continued commitment to the region, especially with the opening of The Avenues in Riyadh and Khobar, creating additional opportunities for local talent and contributing to the Kingdom’s growing retail sector.

The inaugural event was attended by Mohammed Alshaya – Executive Chairman of Alshaya Group, John Hadden – CEO of Alshaya Group, Firas Aba Alkhail – Deputy General Manager for Business at the Human Resources Development Fund (HADAF), Muhammed Al Melhem Assistant Deputy Minister – Ministry of Commerce, Ibrahim Jubairi Gharwi, Assistant Deputy Minister for the Localization of Tourism, Eng. Abdul Rahman Al-Marwani, Assistant Deputy Governor of the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation, represented by Khalid Al-Nasser, Assistant Director General of the General Directorate for Private Sector Training.

The attendees emphasised the importance of this initiative in enhancing the participation of Saudi youth in the labour market, which is essential to driving sustainable development and boosting economic growth in the Kingdom.

The academy offers comprehensive training programmes, including one-month development courses, as well as three-month qualification courses. These programmes combine theoretical and practical training, enhancing trainees’ opportunities to acquire market-ready skills that align with the rapid developments occurring in the retail sector in the Kingdom.

“At Alshaya, we believe in the importance of empowering Saudi youth by equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary for their professional growth. We are committed to providing them with comprehensive and integrated training opportunities that help them thrive in the retail sector. This initiative aims to build a national workforce capable of adapting to the rapid changes occurring in the market, which aligns with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030,” said Mohammed Alshaya – Executive Chairman of Alshaya Group.

Abdullah Faisal, Regional People Director at Alshaya Group, said: “At Alshaya Group, we are deeply committed to providing the best opportunities for all Saudi citizens, whether in employment or training. We take great pride in our established record of employing national talent and continuously strive to expand the opportunities available to them. Through the Alshaya Academy, we aim to empower our youth by equipping them with the essential skills needed to thrive across various sectors, while providing them with the tools necessary for success in the workforce, in alignment with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. We are confident that the Alshaya Academy will serve as a cornerstone for developing talent and helping realize the aspirations of an ambitious generation dedicated to excellence and innovation, in collaboration with leading government bodies.”

Alshaya was recently awarded by The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in Saudi Arabia as a leading company in parallel training and feminisation. This recognition underscores our commitment to gender diversity and the empowerment of Saudi women in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030.

Currently, Alshaya runs professional training and mentoring programmes to ensure that Saudi nationals develop the skills they need during their career path. The company has successfully attracted around 4,000 Saudi females to work in world-leading brands such as Starbucks, The Cheesecake Factory, Shake Shack, Raising Cane’s, H&M, American Eagle, Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, and Foot Locker.

About Alshaya Group

Alshaya Group is a dynamic family-owned business, first established in Kuwait in 1890. With a consistent record of growth and innovation, Alshaya Group is one of the world’s leading brand franchise operators, offering an unparalleled choice of over 70 well-loved, international brands to customers.

Alshaya Group’s portfolio extends across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Türkiye and Europe, with over 4,000 stores, cafes, restaurants, and leisure destinations, major logistics and food production operations, as well as over 125 online and digital businesses including one of the region’s biggest retail loyalty programmes, Aura.

Operating in multiple sectors including Fashion, Food, Health & Beauty, Pharmacy, Home Furnishings and Hospitality & Entertainment, over 50,000 Alshaya colleagues are united by a commitment to authentically deliver great customer service and brand experiences.

From flagship stores and restaurants in prestige malls, through to local coffee shops, drive-thrus and online, Alshaya Group brings customers the experiences they want with the brands they love, in the ways they choose – including Starbucks, American Eagle, Footlocker, Victoria’s Secret, H&M, Bath & Body Works, Charlotte Tilbury, Raising Cane’s, Shake Shack, and Chipotle.

News Credits- ZAWYA BY LSEG

Nkgwete IT Solutions has 11 years of experience in corporate IT support, and so when expanding the business to support the retail sector

Modern retailers looking to build on this need a seamless and reliable technology ecosystem to remain competitive and to serve consumers, especially during periods of high demand, says Nkgwete IT Solutions CEO, Siddika Osman.

According to Statistics SA, 2024 retail trade sales increased by 2,5% when compared with the previous year. Beyond this, five of the seven types of retailers as defined by the national agency showed positive year-on-year growth rates.

Osman says that while retailers spend a great deal of money investing in point-of-sale (POS) and other operational technologies, it is the daily functioning of all critical infrastructure, POS and end-point devices that can make or break a retailer’s success.

“Retailers manage complex technology ecosystems that need to be operating as expected in order to deliver a seamless customer and employee experience. However, as we all know, in the real world issues do crop up and it is precisely when this happens that a retailer needs peace of mind that they have rapid onsite technical support,” explains Osman.

Retailers often spend a big part of the year investing in new systems and capabilities to take advantage of key retail periods, such as Black Friday and the festive season, when there are significant upticks in volumes – not just in-store and online, but also stretching inventory management and supply chain processes.

“Certainly from our experience, and our partnerships with key retail technology implementation partners, we understand that there needs to be cost-effective, locally tailored support solutions in place. The best technology only lives up to its promise if it is working. In other words, retailers need partners that complement backend software with frontline support services,” says Osman.

Nkgwete IT Solutions has 11 years of experience in corporate IT support, and so when expanding the business to support the retail sector, Osman says the Nkgwete discovered that retailers encountered many shared challenges with other sectors.

“All sectors have critical functions. In retail it is no different. It is essential to provide critical IT infrastructure and POS support to minimise downtime for retail operations. In our experience, and helped in a large part by our extensive national geographical footprint, having on-site technical support in the form of rapid response helps retailers manage complex technology challenges quickly,” she says.

This should not only be the preserve of retailers operating in major city hubs, explains Osman. “Many businesses have stores that are distributed across the country – they need a partner with the national footprint to reach smaller towns and villages.

Nkgwete has built up an impressive geographical footprint serving other sectors and so this, combined with a strong understanding of the South African retail sector and general South African operating conditions, we found it was a logical step to provide comprehensive support to this vital cog of the South African economy.”

Ngkwete, means “champion”, and the name reflects the culture of professionalism and accountability in the business. Osman says that this is why the business undertook a strategy of hiring an extensive number of engineers across the country with at least national diplomas and CompTIA and certifications.

She explains that despite being awarded as the business with the most CompTIA certified engineers in Africa, the orientation is towards ensuring the service promise is fulfilled. “Ngkwete exists first and foremost to ensure our customers have peace of mind regarding IT support, and we are delighted to be extending this offering to the retail sector,” she says.

News Credits- ZAWYA BY LSEG

Indonesian ecommerce platform PT Bukalapak.com Tbk (BUKA) reported a 37% revenue growth in Q1 2025, reaching 1.5 trillion rupiah (US$89.74 million), up from 1.1 trillion rupiah (US$65.81 million) in the previous quarter.

This increase was driven by strong performance in its gaming and retail segments and a new business segmentation, including Mitra Bukalapak, Gaming, Retail, and Investment.

The company’s contribution margin nearly doubled to 80 billion rupiah (US$4.79 million), a 95% increase from the prior quarter.

Net profit turned positive at 112 billion rupiah (US$6.7 million), recovering from a net loss of 955 billion rupiah (US$57.13 million) in Q4 2024.

Bukalapak ended Q1 with 18.8 trillion rupiah (US$1.12 billion) in cash and liquid investments, signaling strong financial stability for future growth.

Food for thought

1️⃣ Bukalapak’s restructuring shows a dramatic financial turnaround amid e-commerce consolidation

Bukalapak’s Q1 2025 results represent a remarkable turnaround with net profit swinging to positive IDR 112 billion, following significant struggles in previous quarters.

The company had been facing mounting financial pressure, with losses increasing by 12% to IDR 1.55 trillion in 2024 amid spiraling costs.

This transformation aligns with their January 2025 strategic shift away from physical products, a decision that initially shocked markets, causing shares to fall 4.10%.

The restructuring efforts began showing promising signs in Q4 2024, with a 7% quarter-on-quarter revenue increase driven primarily by a 21% rise in marketplace revenue, even as their O2O segment declined 9%.

Bukalapak’s pivot comes amid broader consolidation in Indonesia’s e-commerce landscape, where larger platforms like Shopee dominate, forcing smaller players to find distinctive positioning.

2️⃣ Indonesia’s e-commerce market offers substantial growth runway despite fierce competition

Bukalapak’s strategic segments realignment occurs in a market projected to reach between $46.6 billion (GlobalData) and $94.48 billion (Mordor Intelligence) by the end of 2025, highlighting significant growth potential.

The Indonesian e-commerce sector is expected to continue expanding at a CAGR of 15.5% through 2030, potentially reaching $194.20 billion by that year.

This growth is supported by demographic tailwinds: rising internet penetration, increasing mobile wallet adoption, and supportive government policies for digital infrastructure development.

Indonesia currently ranks as the eighth-largest e-commerce market globally, with online shopping penetration expected to increase from 32% in 2023 to 46% by 2028.

Emerging trends including social commerce, influencer marketing, and the integration of e-commerce with traditional retail create new opportunities for platforms that can effectively adapt their business models.

3️⃣ Bukalapak’s strategic pivot to focus on higher-margin virtual segments

Bukalapak’s refined business segmentation—transitioning to Mitra Bukalapak, Gaming, Retail, and Investment from the previous Marketplace and O2O segments—reflects a deliberate strategic shift toward higher-margin, asset-light business lines.

The company’s dramatic improvement in contribution margin (95% QoQ increase to IDR 80 billion) demonstrates early validation of this approach [original article].

The pivot away from physical products announced in January 2025 was a particularly bold move in the competitive e-commerce landscape, focusing resources on virtual products with potentially better economics.

This strategic realignment appears to address Bukalapak’s previous financial challenges, which included a -34.72% profit margin and negative returns on assets (-1.67%) and equity (-6.32%) reported earlier.

Bukalapak’s transformation echoes its original mission to support SMEs through technology, now refocused on specific segments where it can maintain competitive differentiation against larger players like Shopee and Tokopedia.

News Credits- TECHINASIA

PostNord has announced its first-quarter financial results for 2025, with operating income growing 2.1% to SEK189m (US$19.6m) thanks to 8% growth in its parcel volumes compared with Q1 2024.

According to the post, its improvement programs have increased efficiency and reduced costs, thus boosting income despite mail volumes falling by 14% in the quarter compared with 2024.

“The fact that income for the group was again strong shows that our improvement programs have delivered as planned,” said Annemarie Gardshol, president and CEO of PostNord. “At the same time as we have taken important actions on the cost side, we have invested in our offering and strengthened our parcel business.”

Major changes in the mail business

In March, PostNord Denmark announced it will stop handling mail from the beginning of 2026 and instead focus fully on the parcels business. Since the turn of the millennium, mail volumes in Denmark have declined by more than 90% and the pace of decline in volumes continued to increase in the past year because of Denmark’s new Postal Services Act. This means that the conditions for operating a mail business that is both nationwide and profitable in Denmark no longer exist.

However, the Swedish side of the company will continue to run its nationwide, self-financed and profitable mail business.

PostNord said that its business will continue to be affected by “ongoing uncertainty in global economic developments” and that it would continue to closely monitor the situation while “maintaining the focus on our transformation”.

Author Credits- HAZEL KING, Parcel and postal technology INTERNATIONAL

Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, 71, has stepped down from her position on L’Oréal’s board of directors, transferring her seat to Téthys, the family’s holding company, during the company’s annual general meeting on Tuesday. Bettencourt Meyers, honored during the meeting, also passed her vice-chair role to one of her sons.

Bettencourt Meyers, the heiress to the L’Oréal fortune and among the world’s richest women, has long played a central role in the company’s governance.

Téthys’ appointment to the board received strong support and was approved with 95.59% of shareholder votes. Bettencourt Meyers had served as a board member for 28 years and remains the chair of Téthys.

“I am not leaving L’Oréal, but I am stepping down from its board of directors, where I served for 28 years,” she told AFP on Monday.

“It is a joy for my husband and me to see the bond between our family and L’Oréal continue. We look forward to nurturing it alongside our sons, Jean-Victor and Nicolas,” she added.

Jean-Victor, who turned 39 on Tuesday, was unanimously approved by the board to succeed his mother as vice-chair. He joined L’Oréal’s board in 2012, taking over the seat previously held by his grandmother, Liliane Bettencourt.

His brother, Victor, 36, has been a board member for five years.

“Today marks a major milestone in L’Oréal’s history,” said Chairman Jean-Paul Agon during the tribute to Bettencourt Meyers.

He emphasized the enduring relationship between the Bettencourt Meyers family and the founding family of L’Oréal. Bettencourt Meyers is the granddaughter of L’Oréal founder Eugène Schueller and the daughter of Liliane Bettencourt.

“You have always resisted the temptation of short-term measures that would have sacrificed investment for immediate results,” Agon told Bettencourt Meyers, seated in the front row with her husband, Jean-Pierre Meyers, and their sons.

“You have always fought to protect the integrity of the group — sometimes, I can attest, at the expense of your own peace of mind and that of your beloved family,” he added.

“Discretion is a silent virtue,” Agon concluded. “And you embody it.”

Bettencourt Meyers accepted a bouquet of flowers and greeted the audience, receiving warm applause from the nearly 1,000 shareholders in attendance.

As of March 24, 2025, the Bettencourt Meyers family held a 34.76% stake in L’Oréal. In 2024, the company reported a 3.6% increase in net profit to €6.4 billion and a 5.6% rise in revenue to €43.48 billion.

News Credits-FASHION NETWORK

Smart wearables and audio brand Boat joined forces with music label Mass Appeal to support young artists from Mumbai’s Dharavi area under the banner of the ‘Dharavi Dream Project’ and held an audio product distribution drive.

“The gesture aimed to provide the aspiring artists with high-quality tools to pursue their musical journeys and enhance their learning experience,” announced Boat in a press release. “This collaboration reinforces Boat’s commitment to fostering grassroots talent and using music as a medium for positive change. It also marks a significant moment in the brand’s ongoing efforts to connect with and uplift India’s vibrant youth culture through meaningful, purpose-driven initiatives.”

Mass Appeal was co-founded by hip-hop artist Nas and the Dharavi Dream Project is a hip-hop music school designed to empower underprivileged children through music and creative expression. In support of this initiative, Boat distributed 60 of its audio products to students at the Dharavi Dream Project during Nas’ recent visit to India.

Boat is run by Imagine Marketing Limited which is headquartered in India and manufactures and retails products including smart wearables, personal grooming devices, audio gear, and mobile accessories. The business describes itself as “India’s number one audio and wearables brand” and counts strategic partnerships with global businesses including Qualcomm and Dolby with backing from investors such as Warburg Pincus, Malabar Investments, and Fireside Ventures.

Author Credits- Isabelle Crossley, FASHION NETWORK

BoxCommerce, an African founded e-commerce platform that serves SMEs and startups, has launched in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), betting on the country’s booming mobile commerce market, vast SME sector, and the limited availability of user-friendly e-commerce solutions tailored for local businesses looking to scale.

The move positions BoxCommerce among a wave of African startups setting shop in the Middle East’s commercial capital. The UAE’s e-commerce market is projected to hit $8 billion in revenue this year, surpassing $10 billion by 2029.

Launched in 2019, BoxCommerce offers tools for building online stores, managing inventory, processing payments, and handling logistics. The company began operations in Kenya in 2022 and claims to have onboarded more than 5,400 merchants in its first year, 16 times the number reached by Shopify over the same period. BoxCommerce is now active in South Africa and Indonesia. The UAE represents a strategic entry point for BoxCommerce into a region with strong consumer demand but limited user-friendly solutions for small businesses.

“The UAE is a strategic market for BoxCommerce,” said CEO and founder Craig Mcleod. “With mobile commerce dominating and over 70% of the population shopping online, the country is on track to grow its e-commerce market size to AED 48 billion by 2028. Our platform is designed to help local businesses tap into this explosive growth.”

In the UAE, BoxCommerce will focus on helping SMEs set up their online store in minutes with no technical expertise required. The platform will also support sales across websites, social media, and marketplaces, helping merchants expand their reach.

“Despite having around 600,000 SMEs in the UAE, there are still very few easy-to-use eCommerce solutions designed to help local SMEs grow and scale,” Rahul Vaish, MENA Director of BoxCommerce, added. “SMEs are the bedrock of any economy, representing 94% of the UAE’s companies and employing over 86% of the private sector workforce.”

BoxCommerce joined MasterCard’s Startup Engagement program and previously participated in Facebook’s Commerce Accelerator in 2020. The company says it aims to become the go-to platform for emerging-market merchants looking to build omnichannel retail operations without technical complexity.

Author Credits- Sakhile Dube, Techcabal