“PrestoMart Near U” launched to lead the transition from e-commerce to q-commerce platform

Kuala Lumpur - In an exclusive launch event, the much anticipated inaugural PrestoMart Near U outlet was unveiled at SS15, Subang Jaya.

PrestoMart Near U is the result of a partnership between Presto Universe Sdn Bhd (“Presto”), a unit of PUC Berhad and logistics service provider Near U (M) Sdn Bhd (“Near U”) which is operated by logistics solutions specialist, FMX Sdn Bhd.

PrestoMart Near U is Malaysia’s first retail store concept which combines a retail mart along with e-commerce fulfillment and courier services in a single outlet. It is expected to revolutionise the retail industry by having multiple services integrated into a single physical store.

Not just an ordinary convenience store, PrestoMart Near U provides multiple services in a single outlet, allowing consumers to purchase snacks, food, gadgets in addition to carrying out their e-commerce and courier transactions simultaneously.

"The purpose of setting up these stores is to bring our E-commerce warehouse nearer to our consumers, enabling deliveries to be fulfilled on a next hour basis instead of the next day. The profound impact of the pandemic has changed consumer shopping habits and we believe that e-commerce is moving towards q-commerce (the q stands for quick).

"In line with this trend, we have incorporated a decentralised warehousing and last-mile delivery model into our distribution strategy. We are proud to work with our logistics partner FMX Sdn Bhd to jointly deploy this project as their involvement will optimize logistics costs and speed. This setup will also help many frozen food manufacturers on their delivery requirements nationwide, and we look forward to partnering with them”, said Group CEO of Presto, Cheong Chia Chou.

“We anticipate launching 600 PrestoMart Near U stores by end-2023, primarily in strategic city locations to cater to the busy urban population who are always on the go and looking for added convenience in their retail experience. We have received positive responses from entrepreneurs and potential business partners who are interested to venture into the O2O (online-to-offline) business with us.

"As a product supplier, you can connect through us to have another retail channel to sell your products while if you are an entrepreneur, you can join as a licensee to operate a PrestoMart Near U at your preferred business location.

"Meanwhile, our e-commerce fulfilment infrastructure would help to seamlessly deliver your products to customers”, said Managing Director of Near U, KK Yau.

Key features of PrestoMart Near U include:

1. Retail Mart – Allows consumers to purchase a wide selection of snacks, food, and gadgets off the shelf. These products are usually popular convenience store items from all over the world such as Hong Kong, Thailand, and China.
2. Parcel Shipping Services – Allows consumers to deliver their parcels and send impulsive purchase gifts to their desired recipients.
3. Q-Commerce Fulfilment – Online retailers can stock and store their inventory and send it out when a customer places an order.
4. In-store pickup – Consumers can buy online & self-pick-up at their selected PrestoMart Near U outlets.
5. On-Demand Delivery – Consumers can buy online and the items will be delivered to their doorstep.
6. Loyalty Points Earning & Redemption – Consumers can pay for purchases using their BonusLink points. Should a consumer not have enough points, they can opt to combine their points with another payment method (For example, a consumer uses a combination of BonusLink Points and eWallet balance to complete their payment). On top of that, consumers will earn BonusLink points while shopping in-store.
7. Ready to Eat (RTE) “Ding-able” Food – The store also carries a variety of RTE meals such as halal dim sum, pastries, sandwiches, and more. Customers can purchase their preferred meals and make use of the furnished store microwave to ‘ding’ or heat their food and immediately have it on the go.

In the partnership, Presto will manage the mart services as well as O2O Q-commerce activities while Near U will manage the courier and logistical services.

As part of its expansion plans to strengthen its position nationwide, PrestoMart Near U will be opening two more outlets in SS2, Petaling Jaya and central Johor Bahru. Consumers who want to experience a new digital O2O experience can pay a visit to their nearest PrestoMart Near U outlet.

For more information on PrestoMart Near U, please visit https://www.prestomart.my/.