SingEx launches Last Mile Fulfilment Asia (LMFAsia), Asia’s trade conference and exhibition event focusing on the last mile fulfilment aspects of the logistics and eCommerce industries.
Taking place next year from March 19-20, at Max Atria @ Singapore EXPO, the event is expected to attract around 1,500 trade attendees, delegates and exhibitors from fulfilment centres, logistics companies and postal agencies to parcel courier companies and technology solution providers in the region.
Lee Eng Keat, director of logistics and natural resources in EDB Singapore (LMFAsia’s strategic partner), said that this event will “allow brand owners to get a better understanding of how Singapore can help them connect to key markets and enhance their competitive edge in the burgeoning Asian market, especially Southeast Asia”. Lee also highlighted that this event will help build Singapore’s capabilities in eCommerce, from consumer insights to last mile fulfilment.
With eCommerce growing in Asia, Asia Pacific is expected to overtake North America as the world’s largest eCommerce market this year, and B2C eCommerce sales to grow from US$383.9 million in 2013 to US$855.7 million by 2016, according to eMarketer.
Despite substantial economic returns, such growth also resulted in increased complexities in the last mile fulfilment delivery in the supply chain industry. Technological and infrastructural constraints as well as higher fulfilment costs within Asia are a struggle for brand owners and retailers, while logistic players are grappling with the increased demands on their supply chain networks and systems to meet their clients’ last mile fulfilment needs in Asia.
SingEx saw this gap as an excellent opportunity to create an event that will provide a platform for the fulfilment ecosystem. Aloysius Arlando, CEO of SingEx Holdings, also noted that because of the broader issues in the general logistics sector discussed in current events, sources and platforms that eCommerce companies and retailers can go to for last mile fulfilment issues are limited.
