Royal Mail has secured a stake in Market Engine Global Pty Limited, an Australian e-commerce technology start-up that helps businesses to manage online shop fronts in global marketplaces that are fully-translated for the local market.
The UK postal group said it will assist Market Engine, which operates a cloude-based platform, by introducing its offering to businesses looking to expand their e-commerce presence in markets around the world.
Through Market Engine’s unique market management system, which integrates into the world’s largest e-commerce sites such as Tmall Global and JD.com, businesses can manage all aspects of their online retail presence in different markets across the world, without the need for a bricks-and-mortar presence, Royal Mail explained.
This includes local online shop front designs translated into the local language and integration with real-time business management and analysis systems, including inventory, reporting and sales analysis. Market Engine also creates custom-built online marketplaces, bringing businesses and consumers closer together.
Royal Mail said the investment in Market Engine forms part of its continued focus on digital innovation and building its e-commerce capability. It follows the company’s recent investment in ‘personal shopping’ app Mallzee and its acquisition in February this year of Storefeeder, an e-commerce technology specialist which provides order management, stock control, smart warehousing and courier integration for web merchants.
These investments reflect the increasingly technology-driven nature of the delivery market and help further align the company with the rapid growth in online shopping and e-retailing, with 81% of online shoppers now purchasing goods from online marketplaces. In addition, they provide Royal Mail with exposure to new, high-growth revenue streams further up the value chain, as well as complementing Royal Mail’s existing parcel services.
Nick Landon, Managing Director of Royal Mail Parcels, said: “I’m excited to announce our investment in Market Engine. We think we can leverage our scale and expertise to help Market Engine expand and accelerate its entrance into new markets, while identifying opportunities to incorporate its technology solutions within Royal Mail’s existing operations.”
