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Creative Smarts: AsmaraKu takes fear factor out of buying condoms
LABOR OF LOVE: AsmaraKu’s Grace Natalia and William Tunggaldjaja
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LABOR OF LOVE: AsmaraKu’s Grace Natalia and William Tunggaldjaja.
Buying condoms or other sexual wellness products in stores can often become an awkward situation in Indonesia, home to the largest Muslim population in the world and a society where conservative values still reign. It is in overcoming that embarrassment that two former executives of Lazada Indonesia found an opportunity with their e-commerce enterprise, asmaraku.com.
AsmaraKu, which literally means “my romance”, offers a variety of sexual wellness products, such as vibrating condoms and lubricants, and romantic items, including an on-demand bucket of flowers and teddy bear. It markets bachelorette party props, personal health and skincare products.
The co-founder and CEO of AsmaraKu, Grace Natalia, came up with the ecommerce idea after experiencing first-hand stares from people when she was buying condoms for her bride-to-be friend in a drugstore.
“I asked the storekeeper for the products and she showed me the shelves behind the cash register where all premium products — test packs, condoms, lubricants and fertility test packs — were stored. While she explained the products to me, other customers were staring at us. It felt really uncomfortable.”
Many people may have encountered a similar experience and do not want to be seen purchasing items sometimes considered taboo by society.
AsmaraKu, the self-proclaimed biggest e-commerce site for romance products in the country, tries to overcome the problem by protecting customers’ privacy. As stated on its site: “Only God, us and you know what you order. GUARANTEED!”
The products will arrive at your doorstep in a plain package with a label that does not mention AsmaraKu nor the details of the products — ensuring no one, including prying neighbors, knows what is inside. When you pay for the products with your credit card, the billing only shows the official company name and not the AsmaraKu brand.
“People may still prefer go to the stores when buying fashion or electronic products so they can see the products and get a bargain,” said Grace, the former head of marketplace for Lazada Indonesia.
“But it is a different case with such [sexual wellness] products. What customers value the most is their privacy.”
Grace teamed up with William Tunggaldjaja, the former country manager of Path in Indonesia, to build the e-commerce enterprise. A graduate of University of California, Berkeley, William also previously served as the country manager of Zomato and Lazada Indonesia’s vice president.
“At first, the funding came entirely from our savings. We were bootstrapping. As the business grew steadily, we received a round of seed funding from Japan-based IMJ Investment Partners and Singapore-based Alpha JWC Ventures,” he said.
To ensure product quality, AsmaraKu only partners with authorized distributors and ensures that all products have updated certifications from the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM).
AsmaraKu also provide education through its online community, where customers can ask questions on sex and relationship issues to psychologists and medical practitioners.
“At first, I was surprised by the level of [sex] education here,” William said. “We often get basic questions that should’ve been taught in high school.”
The main customers are in their 20s and 30s, with 55 percent male. Around 40 percent of the customers reside in Greater Jakarta.
Sexual wellness products, such as condoms and lubricants, are the top-selling items. Many customers also browse for lingerie and a bucket of flowers for their partners. Interestingly, most of the purchased flowers carry the message “I’m sorry”.
Privacy is also maintained with flower deliveries. The site offers roses in a box, which make it comfortable for men to carry them around public, William said.
“We also cater to secret admirers. The courier will give the flowers and ask the recipient whether she/he likes the flowers and whether she/he wants to send a message for the secret admirer,” he added.
The site has expanded its service with an online-to-offline solution, where the customers can pick up the package at various locations. Grace said the service was initiated following a customer’s suggestion.
“A customer said that when the package arrived at home, his/her mother-in-law opened it. Therefore, we offered an online-to-offline solution,” she said.
AsmaraKu has cooperated with locker providers that operate in around 100 locations in Greater Jakarta that include office towers, malls, apartments, train stations and convenience stores. It aims to expand the service to other cities this year.
Grace said the company had enjoyed a 500 percent increase in orders since last year, and currently handles thousands of orders per month.
“I am glad that many of our customers make repeated purchases,” she said.
Aside from strengthening its online community section, Grace and William want to tap into the halal market.
“We want to develop the halal category. Many of our products have been certified halal, but they don’t put that forward on their branding,” Grace said. “Considering its large Muslim population, halal products have such huge potential in Indonesia.”
