As pandemic drags on, South-east Asia's retailers accelerate their shift online

The explosion of e-commerce in South-east Asia has helped mint multi-billion dollar companies. - ST FILE

JAKARTA (The Straits Times/ANN): When the first cases of Covid 19 were confirmed in Jakarta in March last year, sales at Mr Richwan Hartono's two ice cream kiosks at shopping malls plummeted by 90 per cent.

By August the 29-year-old co-owner of Comeagain ice cream closed his physical stores and switched to selling online, helped by two-for-one offers and reviews from customers affirming that their orders of triple chocolate won't melt on the way.