Cambodia’s digital startups help blunt economic impact of COVID-19

Due to the COVID-19 crisis and the limited mobility measures, Cambodians resorted to online shopping resulting in the flourish of orders by over 180%. ‘Cambodia’s e-commerce sector has experienced rapid growth within the past decade. Internet access, affordability, and uptake have ramped up significantly,’ said Cambodian minister of commerce Pan Sorasak. This included digital startups like Grocerdel, which delivers fresh farm produce and locally made products in the capital Phnom Penh. Grocerdel, whose sale mounted to nearly 165%, had to expand its stuff capacity by 50% to respond to the high demands while taking measures to protect its employees and consumers equally. ‘We’ve provided staff with sanitizers and masks, made arrangements for contactless delivery, for example by leaving baskets outside customers’ premises, and started processing payments via QR codes or electronic transfers,’ said Grocerdel chief executive officer Priyanka Chetry.