Southeast Asia-based e-commerce firm eyes third facility in PHL

Southeast Asia-based aCommerce Inc., a company that enables brands to get into e-commerce, is eyeing to expand its operations in the Philippines by building a third facility seen to be its third largest in the region.

"We currently have two right now, by first half next year we are looking at expanding our fulfillment centers to a third one," aCommerce general manager for Philippine operations Quito San Agustin told reporters in an interview in Taguig City.

"We are looking at 10,000 square meters next year for the Philippines," San Agustin said, noting that aCommerce currently has two fulfillment centers or warehouses in the country - each have the size of 1,000 square meters located in Metro Manila.

He said the company is still looking for a location for its third facility, which will its third largest in the region next the Thailand and Indonesia.

Asked how much will be invested for aCommerce expansion in the Philippines, San Agustin declined to give the specific amount of investment.

However, he said, reinvestment in the Philippines is part of aCommerce's $65-million expansion plan in Southeast Asia.

"This is a serious reinvestment... That's the growth we see in 2018," San Agustin said.

The main driver for aCommerce expansion initiative in the country is the growing trend of companies adopting e-commerce as more customers are doing transactions online.

"Just last year, we have a couple of clients and now we have 25 just this year. We want to double that. We’re looking at 30 to 40 brands next year," he said.

"For aCommerce, we’re focusing on electronics, consumer goods, home and living, and fashion. In Asia and the Philippines, we’ve been heavy in consumer goods," he added.

aCommerce is a company that provides e-commerce technologies and brand-centric services including webstore design, warehousing, channel management, and order fulfillment. —LBG, GMA News