MANY businesses have adapted their operations to survive the movement-control order, including moving towards home-delivery services while Malaysians stay locked in.

Besides logistic companies and food-delivery service providers, some business owners have also switched to deliveries to stay connected with customers.

The Malaysian Insight spoke to a few businesses that started doorstep deliveries and found that they are positive despite some struggles in the initial stages.

Some said they will continue with home delivery even after the MCO is lifted. The MCO was enforced on March 18 to break the Covid-19 outbreak, which to date, has infected 5,482 and killed 92. Phase III of the MCO ends next Tuesday.

Everfresh Cameron Sdn Bhd, which usually supplies restaurants, said it took the opportunity presented by the MCO to start home-delivery services.

An Everfresh Cameron spokesman, who wanted to be known as Lau, told The Malaysian Insight demand for vegetables in the first week of the MCO skyrocketed and it could not handle the volume.

However, with more companies offering deliveries now, the situation is more manageable now, he said.

“When we started the delivery service, there were too many orders and enquiries to handle because people were panic buying.

“Since the situation calmed and there are also others who do deliveries, the situation is more manageable now.”

Lau said some of the challenges include packing and delivering of the items. Packing for restaurants and homes is different and drivers have to be familiar with routes and cover more areas.

“Before getting into home delivery, we were delivering to restaurants. So, in terms of volume, the quality and packaging size is totally different.

“Our drivers and workers adapted in the first phase to the changes. Now they know how to deliver using the fastest method,” Lau said, adding that police at roadblocks have been cooperative and understanding.

S. Vicknes from Nilai, Negri Sembilan, started delivery services after mounting losses from his transportation business since the start of MCO.

He is now delivering fresh seafood. Initially, the orders came from the neighbourhood but he is now covering nearby areas.

“In Nilai, there is only one wet market and with the MCO, people can’t get the items they need,” Vickness told The Malaysian Insight.

“Others find it difficult to leave the house. Since I have the vehicle, I thought this would be a good opportunity to start this business.

“I used to buy for personal use but then, there were some requests from my neighbours when the MCO was enforced.”

Word of his service quickly spread to other neighbourhoods in Nilai and he has been getting good response. He gets his stock replenished every two days from a local supplier.

The 33-year-old also said he does not face much hassle at roadblocks as the authorities are understanding.

“They would check my documents and the items I am carrying and when they see it is seafood, they would allow me to pass. They understand that the people might be having a tough time getting all these,” he said.

As for Mohd Hafiz Rozali, 20, from Skudai, Johor, home-delivery services during the MCO became an extra to the family’s existing seafood business.

Hafiz gets his stock from his mother, a seafood merchant at a wet market in Skudai. He said consumers find it easier to order the items from home and get them delivered.

“Since we started the home-delivery service from the first week of MCO, we have been making an average of 25 deliveries a day.

“We have existing and new customers and they are in different areas, too. We have customers in Senai, Kulai, Pasir Gudang and Ulu Tiram. So, we just add a bit for the delivery charges.”

Hafiz and his three siblings are doing the deliveries themselves and neither have they encountered problems with the authorities.

“We tell them the truth. We show them our mother’s stall licence and tell them that we are going to deliver fresh seafood. We also follow the rules stipulated by the Health Ministry by wearing masks, gloves and sanitise ourselves.”

Just like food and fresh produce suppliers, alcohol deliveries are also strong during the MCO.

A spokesman from drinkdrink.my said orders are robust since it started home deliveries in the Klang Valley soon after the MCO was enforced.

“The response has been good. We are continuing our operations in the third phase of the MCO,” the spokesman said, adding that its drivers, too, didn’t encounter hassles at roadblocks.

Planning beyond MCO

Those interviewed told The Malaysian Insight the Covid-19 pandemic has brought a change to business with greater demand than ever for delivery services.

Everfresh Cameron Sdn Bhd will continue delivering goods to doorsteps even after the MCO is over and to ensure this, it has created a new e-commerce website, said Lau.

Although some might go back to shopping in supermarkets, many will continue with home delivery, he said.

However, delivery times will need to change to cater to after-office hours.

“We have launched an e-commerce website for customers. When we began, we were taking orders via WhatsApp and there were some errors with the orders. So, with the new website, mistakes can be minimised.

“We will continue deliveries even after MCO as some customers would still prefer vegetables to be delivered to their homes.

“But everyone’s at home now. When the MCO ends, most will return to work and we can’t deliver during working hours. So, we might need to change that a bit. This looks promising.”

Hafiz also said the delivery business will continue as it provides extra income, adding that a few years ago, deliveries would have been too difficult but now everyone is adapting to the current realities.

“If I spoke about delivering seafood a few years back, people wouldn’t have confidence in it.

“Some people are fussy. They would want to see the items before buying them but now, everything is made easy with delivery and it is also safe,” Hafiz added. – April 23, 2020.