SHANGHAI, Dec. 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dada Group (Nasdaq: DADA), China's leading local on-demand delivery and retail platform, along with its valued partners, has empowered both online and offline merchants to shift to omnichannel in 2021 as they navigated the challenges posed by new strains of coronavirus. The Company has been spearheading a slew of initiatives which have expedited the digital transformation of brick-and-mortar stores, enhanced its fulfillments capability, unlocked the power of unmanned delivery and strengthened its ESG measures.
Accelerated the Digitalization in Omnichannel Retailing
The integration of online and offline commerce is the future of retail. However, establishing omnichannel is no easy feat for retailers as it requires them to tailor their services to different consumer bases, complicating the efforts necessary to maintain an efficient and seamless order fulfillment operation.
Eyeing the market opportunity in the hyperlocal economy while pushing the boundary of intra-city delivery, Dada and JD.com launched "Shop Now", also known as JD Xiaoshigou, in 2021, as part of the joint effort to establish a one-hour eCommerce model, accelerating Dada Group's and JD.com's omnichannel operation in the on-demand retail space. The new feature, which is available on the JD.com app, promises an ultra-fast eCommerce shopping experience and has driven 150 percent of sales growth in September compared to January.
Dada has also put its upgraded on-demand warehousing, picking and delivery services to the test during the annual Double 11 shopping extravaganza, which shortened the average on-demand delivery time down to 23 minutes. It marked a new milestone for Dada which expanded its services as a delivery operator to a total solution provider covering services in the entire fulfillment cycle.
The Report jointly released by Dada and JD.com, which offers first-hand data-driven insights into the growth of the on-demand market. The report shines a spotlight on the robust potential of hyperlocal eCommerce, with products such as electronics, beauty products, and clothes becoming consumers' favorites.
Digital Empowerment Fuels New Growth
Efficient and customized omnichannel digital solutions are sorely needed as brick-and-mortar retailers seek to blend online and offline operations while minimizing the financial risks brought by the uncertainty of new tech investment. Dada targets those pain points that have been plaguing the retail industry by offering digital tools designed to boost efficiency and lower costs.
Dada's self-developed Haibo System is a digital platform capable of providing retailers with solutions covering marketing, product management, user management, order fulfillment optimization, with a visualized dashboard offering data insights across a variety of dimensions, including sales channels, stores, product categories and SKUs. As of August 2021, the system has served more than 120 large and medium-sized supermarket chains and 4,300 retailer stores across China.
The Dada Picking service improves the efficiency and accuracy of omnichannel order picking for physical stores by allowing them to recruit crowdsourced pickers and enable digital and product-based picking operations and management. The system data shows that the platform reduced picking time by 15 percent, shortened product collecting time by 23 percent, and increased hourly picking speed by 18 percent.
In September, Dada hosted the inaugural "JD Daojia Brand Partner Conference" in Shanghai during which the Super Brand Partner Program was launched by JDDJ as a new joint initiative with numerous world leading brands – including Nestle, Mengniu, Yili, Yihai Kerry, Procter & Gamble – to establish an omnichannel retail ecosystem.
Technological Innovations: Last-Mile Delivery Solutions
Technological innovation is the engine that propels business growth, opening up a new space where companies are able to explore new services and products. Dada shares its industry-leading technologies with its partners in an effort to stir up a new wave of the revolution that drives forward the development of smart delivery solutions.
By leveraging its proprietary software, Dada partnered with tech and logistics innovators and leaders to normalize the scalable use of autonomous delivery vehicles for supermarkets. The autonomous delivery open system developed by Dada helps supermarkets automate order distribution, manage package loading, and complete delivery operations based on the optimal pre-planned routes. With Dada's system, the autonomous vehicles developed by JD Logistics and White Rhino have been adopted by SEVEN FRESH and Yonghui to serve residents in several neighborhoods across China.
In September, Dada announced the launch of another digital tool designed to improve the delivery and management efficiency of retailers and delivery service providers – Dada Smart Delivery SaaS System – an open digital logistics platform developed based on Dada Now's self-developed Smart Logistics System and Big Data Platform. The system offers integrated delivery solutions that include operation platform, merchant application, rider application, and has been adopted by more than 100 merchants.
Strengthened ESG Efforts
In the midst of the many challenges that the pandemic presented, Dada upholds its responsibilities to people and communities and offers support to those in need. A leader in the retail industry, Dada has been working hand-in-hand with retailers and customers to bolster China's real economy and enhance industry efficiency while adopting a comprehensive approach to the wellbeing of Dada's delivery riders.
For elderly smartphone users, Dada has developed a new version of the JDDJ app which features bigger fonts and a simplified user interface, making it easier for them to shop online.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dada worked with its local retail partners across the country to upgrade safety standards, protecting its delivery riders while ensuring sufficient supplies to the platform's customers.
Dada listens to the needs of its delivery riders and takes measures to address their concerns. To ensure their safety and create a comfortable working environment, Dada has upgraded rider stations, set up resting spaces, and provided amenities and training sessions. Dada has also launched a host of initiatives that focuses on the personal and family wellbeing of riders.
With the drive capabilities of both retail and logistics, Dada has delved into China's on-demand delivery and retail market for seven years, which has laid a solid foundation for the Company to take the lead in entering the era of hyperlocal eCommerce soon.
About Dada Group
Dada Group is a leading platform of local on-demand retail and delivery in China. It operates JDDJ, one of China's largest local on-demand retail platforms for retailers and brand owners, and Dada Now, a leading local on-demand delivery platform open to merchants and individual senders across various industries and product categories. The Company's two platforms are inter-connected and mutually beneficial. The Dada Now platform enables improved delivery experience for participants on the JDDJ platform through its readily accessible fulfillment solutions and strong on-demand delivery infrastructure. Meanwhile, the vast volume of on-demand delivery orders from the JDDJ platform increases order volume and density for the Dada Now platform. In June 2020, Dada Group began trading on the Nasdaq Global Market, under the ticker symbol "DADA."
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