In a landmark development projected to significantly enhance the growth opportunities available to MSMEs in the Asia-Pacific region, Singapore-based e-commerce company Shopmatic on Wednesday announced its strategic partnership with the Asia-Pacific MSME Trade Coalition (AMTC), a working committee of the Asia Business Trade Association (ABTA).
The association which is aimed at extending Shopmatic's innovative e-commerce offerings and technological capabilities, will enable MSMEs to cater various high-potential markets across the region through AMTC, enabling them to build, launch, manage, and scale their online presence in a seamless and hassle-free manner.
Shopmatic's latest partnership is aimed at empowering micro, small and medium businesses across the Asia-Pacific region. As part of the association, Shopmatic and AMTC will work closely on several initiatives aimed at enabling better business opportunities for MSMEs - locally, regionally, and globally. Businesses in the high-potential sector will also be able to access the benefits offered by both organisations as an automatic feature of their memberships with either Shopmatic or AMTC.
"The Asia-Pacific region is one of the most vibrant, dynamic, and exciting geographies, especially given the rapid technological adoption that the region has witnessed recently. Despite this, many MSMEs are yet to fully tap into the massive business potential that this growing digital penetration represents due to unfamiliarity with technology or a lack of expertise. This is the gap that we, at Shopmatic, have been addressing," said Anurag Avula, CEO of Shopmatic.
"The association with AMTC will allow us to reach out to many more businesses in the region, as well as to bridge the gap between smaller businesses and government agencies, furthering our mission of enabling MSMEs to scale their operations online, conveniently and without hassles," he added.
The association with AMTC will also allow Shopmatic to gain greater participation and voice in trade development initiatives across the region, as it looks to empower more MSMEs with the tools required to make the digital leap and be more relevant in an increasingly digital-first business ecosystem.
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Partnering with AMTC, the largest MSME-focussed group in the Asia-Pacific will also help Shopmatic in building an MSME-friendly environment in line with government policies across multiple geographies.
"Our main goal at AMTC is to advocate and facilitate the growth of international trade in the region for micro, small, and medium enterprises. Shopmatic's e-commerce platform will enable members of AMTC to quickly develop an online presence, start selling, and growing trade in the region. Existing subscribers on Shopmatic will benefit from AMTC's expanding library of resources, region-wide network, and support from a pan Asian trade association," said Annie Fong, spokesperson for the Asia-Pacific MSME Trade Coalition (AMTC).
Shopmatic provides end-to-end assistance for businesses to create their online stores - from choosing free domains and templates to importing pictures and textual content, facilitating listings on major e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and eBay and accepting digital payments.
Shopmatic also entered into strategic partnerships with leading domestic and international companies in order to enable smoother operations for business owners.