In a bid to bridge logistic service gaps, virtual logistics provider Pickrr has transitioned from B2C to B2B segments.
Team CV
Demand for online shopping spiked during the covid-19 induced lockdown. Even after the start of the unlockdown period the trend continues. As the public finds ways to transact safely and in a manner that involves the least contact, New Delhi-based Pickrr Technologies Pvt. Ltd (Pickrr) is adapting itself to the change. In the process it is finding new opportunities to grow. One of them is to bridge the logistics gaps that exist in their business model as a virtual logistics provider. In view of the same, the company has transitioned from B2C to B2B. One of the first logistic courier aggregators to offer order processing, shipping, tracking, reverse logistics and other related services, Pickrr is keen to earn itself the front runner advantage in the B2B space.
Expressed Rhitiman Majumder, Co-Founder and CEO, Pickrr, that the B2C logistics space has evolved in the last couple of years. It is now the B2B space that is poised to witness a lot of improvements. Founded in 2015 by Ankit Kaushik, Gaurav Mangla, and Rhitiman Majumder, Pickrr is into on-demand logistics services. It is an end-to-end Software as a Service (SAAS) based logistics solutions provider. Helping various brands with reverse logistics models for the last five years, the company has come to have a customer portfolio which comprises brands like Bosch Household Appliances, Lifecare, Bombay Shaving Company, Baidyanath Group, Qtrove, Nutrabay, and The Messy Corner. Serving large-scale businesses and SMEs, Pickrr’s active clients amount to over 2000 businesses. The company, according to Majumder, does 50000 plus orders a day.
Bridging the gap
With a clear focus on performance-driven logistics solutions for the B2C segments, the entry of Pickrr into the B2B segment spells not just a hunger for growth but also a quest to bridge the gaps in its business model. Especially against the shadow of Covid-19. Of the opinion that the Indian logistics industry is a mix of highly specialised tech-driven service providers to local manually run logistics companies, Majumder is gunning for technology to give the business the necessary edge. Providing technology and API integration to end-to-end logistics services to online and offline sellers through its technology and service components, the company is using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). This includes next-day delivery, hyperlocal delivery, bulk and full truck-load transportation facilities at the algorithm level. Offering order management, order-tracking and report generation on multiple parameters, Pickrr is working to bridge the technological gap that exists. Of the opinion that the technological gap has existed for quite some time, Pickrr, with a reach of 26000 pin codes in India, is striving to make a mark. Consisting of a 30 member team, the company, according to Majumder, is profitable.
Transition from B2C to B2B
Recording a 100 per cent year-on-year increase in revenue, Pickrr is investing in technology to gather a front runner advantage in the B2B space. Posting a revenue of Rs.34 crore in FY2019-20, the company is confident of achieving all that it aims to achieve in the B2B segment. Building technology initially for the B2C segment (sellers and businesses), Pickrr, focusing on the B2B segment is leveraging its technological expertise to carve out a niche for itself. How is it doing so is something that Majumder did not reveal. What he did instead is point at an ambition to carve out a niche. Of the opinion that the developments in the B2B space has been considerable over the span of the last ten years, Majumder mentioned that their entry into the B2B segment was quite logical. If the availability of technological prowess made it easier, the company is leveraging its knowledge in fields like air express, surface express, fulfilment and warehousing, and reverse logistics, that it participates in.
Providing performance-driven logistics solutions through their logistics partners, Pickrr, as an aggregator does not have a fleet of its own. It engages with various fleet operators in the country, therefore. This, according to Majumder, has enabled them to offer almost all the fleet options to their clients. Leaving its logistics partners to handle the transportation part that they are good at, Pickrr has been particularly working with Delhivery and Rivigo for its B2B requirements, according to Majumder. Acting as a service provider to its clients in need of logistics solutions and to help them suggest the best option in terms of carriers, the company is handling the invoicing and communication for the clients. Working as an end-to-end e-commerce logistics company thus, Pickrr is witnessing a constant improvement in Turn Around Time (TAT) for the last one year. This, according to Majumder, is because of the efficiency improvements small and big, and also because of the improvements in infrastructure. Tech-intensive — right from order placement, logistics partner selection, order management, to order delivery, Pickrr is confident of growing in a post-Covid environment.
Post-Covid
Acknowledging that the Covid-19 pandemic has had an effect on their business, Majumder averred that demand was making a gradual return. “First to suffer when the pandemic broke out, the logistic industry has also been the first to get on the path to recovery,” he added. Stating that they have been working hard to remove the stops that got installed during the lockdown, Pickrr is striving to provide the best experience to customers as the ‘unlockdown’ period progresses. Explained Majumder, that they have been working hard to get their services to pre-covid levels despite challenges. Challenges, he said, continue to pose a hurdle. “We are however not deterred, and are working with our customers and channel partners to get them to resume their business with us,” remarked Majumder.
Of the opinion that it is proving to be a bit challenging to convince clients and customers regarding the possible delays caused due to restrictions, he said that they have adopted a strategy to be even more proactive to build the confidence of all those that they deal with, or interact with. Informing customers of any possible movement restrictions, Pickrr, according to Majumder, is finding good success in solving logistics-related issues being faced by their clients and partners. Working on challenges like post ship services, warehousing, packaging, etc., Pickrr is confident that the logistics sector will post a quick improvement in a post Covid-19 environment. “The TATs will eventually decrease, and mark the return of the glory to the logistics sector,” signed off Majumder.
