- The amount paid for the acquisition at the startup was not disclosed;
- Online sales, which accounted for 30% of the total before the pandemic, are now around 65%.
Via Varejo, the largest retail group in Brazil, announced the purchase of ASAPLog, a Brazilian startup specialized in urban logistics solutions and carrier connections for long-haul transportation. The company did not reveal the value of the deal, but did disclose to the Brazil Journal important figures about its recent operations: the group has been able to maintain 70% of its pre-quarantine revenues in recent weeks .
The number is mainly due to the advance of online sales, which represented 30% of the total before the pandemic and now make up about 65%.
The purchase of ASAPLog is an important step in the digital transformation of Via Varejo, which owns the chains Casas Bahia and Ponto Frio. ASAP’s technology “uberizes” the last mile, allowing app drivers, motorcycle couriers and even buses to deliver small packages to company customers.
“In recent years, ASAPLog has been transforming the delivery scene of small ecommerce retailers, with an easy-to-use platform, favoring ‘crowdshipping’ as a solution for last mile delivery, with a wide network of autonomous delivery people,” Via Varejo said in a statement about the startup, created five years ago in the Brazilian city of Curitiba.
Today, according to the Brazil Journal, the last mile of Via Varejo depends on small trucks. By using ASAP technology, the company will optimize delivery from mini hubs reducing delivery times in many cases from two days to two hours.
Reopening
Via Varejo has gradually reopened physical stores, as restrictions are lifted. Last weekend, 190 of the 1,070 stores were open, and the company expects the number to grow to 220 next Sunday.
