Kemenkop UKM Collaborates with Titipku to Help Digitalize Markets

The Indonesian Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (Kemenkop UKM) encourages cooperatives and traditional market traders to start exploring online market share. Several agendas have been prepared to realize these goals, one of which is through the “People’s Market Development” program which focuses on the market digitization process.

In DIY this program was started in two markets, namely Ngoto Market and Piyungan Market. This program will take place from 9 November 2020 to 31 December 2020 in collaboration with the Provincial Governments of DI Yogyakarta and Bantul Regency.

Regarding the digitization process, Kemenkop UKM uses a digital platform developed by a local innovator, namely Titipku. Kemenkop UKM through the Titipku team will later guide traders in both markets to start selling online.

CEO of Titipku, Henri Suhardja, when met at Piyungan Market Monday (9/11/2020) said that his party together with the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (UKM) plans to digitize all 832 public markets in Indonesia.

Has a Different Way of Working with other Marketplaces

Unlike other marketplaces, in Titipku every stalls and traders will be made online shops. He revealed that MSME players and market traders actually have difficulty entering digital. This is mostly because they are old or don’t have a smartphone, or have a smartphone but don’t understand selling online.

“So the solution for Titipku is used by young people. Those who download the application then they become explorers. They play a role in helping to build an online shop,” said Henry. The Titipku application allows small traders in traditional markets to sell their products through online channels, so they can reach wider market share.

The application concept also allows ‘Explorers’ (Titipku users) to help traders enter their product list into the application. This feature is important, because not all MSMEs have a good understanding of digital or the internet.

“Young people download the application, come to the market, meet the merchants’ waste. An online store is made to be photographed, all the products are entered. In this way, traders who are elderly still have an online shop, without him having to be able to entrust my application. task is to spend and send goods that have been purchased to buyers, “he explained.

With this, it is hoped that a digital economy ecosystem will be formed that helps small traders and makes it easier for people to get their daily needs. Henri explained, Titipku has been used by more than 160 thousand users throughout Indonesia, more than 100 thousand MSMEs have joined.

Hopefully It Can Help Traditional Market Traders Survive the Digital Era

And more than 50 traditional markets throughout Indonesia make use of the system, and explorers numbering more than 40 thousand. “This is proof that young people and the community care about MSMEs and traditional markets,” he said.

Meanwhile, Rena, a trader in the Piyungan market, hopes that this program can enable traders to compete in the digital era. “Do not fall victim to the digital era, but can take advantage of it. And hopefully this program will be a solution for traders whose turnover has decreased due to competing with modern and online stores,” she said.

On that occasion, Head of the Office of Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises, and Industry (KUKMP) Agus Sulistiyana revealed that this is a program that can help traders market their products and help buyers not have to come to the market.

“Of course we hope that this program can develop and can be applied to other markets. Therefore, the socialization needs to be intensified so that people are more familiar with this application,” he said. However, he advised traders to maintain the quality of their goods. This means that people cannot see directly and can only see through photos.

“And with digital, people do not have to go to the market. Because even though the health protocol is implemented, the community’s discipline is not maximal, it is risky or vulnerable to covid transmission. And this digitization helps implement health protocols,” he concluded.