e-Commerce Semakin Berkembang

 

Berita pembelian 14 kapalterbang Boeing 747 oleh United Parcel Service (UPS) merupakan petanda bahawa perniagaan atas talian semakin berkembang. Di Malaysia, nama-nama seperti Lazada, Shopee dan Zalora begitu sinonim dikalangan orang ramai. 

Laman web bizjournals.com yang melaporkan pembelian 14 Boeing 747 oleh UPS turut menyebut bahawa ia akan meningkatkan lagi kemampuan membawa kargo sebanyak 16 peratus. Menerusi laporan yang diterbitkan pada bulan Februari 2018, 14 kapalterbang Boeing 747 itu meliputi kapal terbang lain yang dipesan dari tahun 2016. Jumlah kesemua sekali adalah 32. Laporan penuh boleh diperolehi di sini.

Tidak dinafikan perniagaan atas talian ini sememangnya bukan sahaja menguntungkan seller yang tidak perlu menyewa kedai dan menggaji staf yang ramai, ia juga membolehkan seller menembusi dinding geografi dengan memasarkan produk mereka lebih luas. Tidak perlu membuka cawangan di setiap negeri, cukup dengan mengiklankannya di website e-commerce.

Saya sendiri sudah kerap terjebak dengan pembelian atas talian. Yang paling kerap adalah topup, reload sahaja di M2u. Amat jarang saya ke kedai untuk beli topup. Paling latest saya beli adalah beg backpack High Sierra keluaran salah satu anak syarikat Samsonite. Samsonite merupakan pengeluar beg terkenal. Saya beli di Official Store Samsonite. Penghantaran pun cepat. Harga asal RM 2xx, tetapi ada offer ketika itu iaitu RM 81. 

Beg tersebut bernama High Sierra Urban Backpack Icon Navy. Not bad. Kualiti pun ok. Satu perkara yang suka tentang online shop ini ialah kita boleh browse cari barang pada bila-bila sahaja. Kadang-kadang sebelum saya tidur saya akan browse e-commerce site untuk lihat apa yang menarik.

Perkara yang saya tak suka pula ialah barang-barang tersebut tidah dapat dirasai dalam bentuk fizikal. Hanya maklumat size, material dan juga spesifikasi sahaja diberikan. Saya pernah beli Crocs Original dari Crocs Official Store dan bila sampai ke tangan saya, size hanya cukup-cukup muat. Senang cerita, kurang selesa. Rupanya size yang diberi adalah US Size, dan saya pun tak baca in detail spesifikasinya. Memang la boleh return, tapi tu dah hal lain dan menambahkan kerja. Sasaran utama online retailer adalah untuk orang-orang yang masa nya emas macam saya. 

Contoh satu lagi ialah pembelian pertama saya di Shopee dari Pineng Official Store. Barang diatas saya beli dengan harga Rm 2x. Bila saya on, ia berfungsi. Bila saya cuba alihkan cable usb dari satu port ke satu port yang lain, ia meletup sehingga trip satu fuse di DB. Mungkin salah saya, tapi jika saya beli di kedai mungkin saya boleh test barang tersebut dahulu. Seller ada offer untuk return tapi buat masa ini saya tiada masa. 

Whatever it is, online shop ini memang menjimatkan masa dan tenaga saya. 
 
 

Wira Yang Panas

Proton WIRA merupakan antara kereta-kereta yang pernah saya miliki dan guna sebelum saya meninggalkan jenama Proton. Antaranya ialah Saga 1.3, Saga 1.5 MegaValve dan Perdana 2.0. Tak dinafikan Wira ini banyak meninggalkan kenangan pada saya. Ia merupakan kereta pertama yang saya betul-betul modified. Sebelum itu, kedua-dua Saga saya dibiarkan standard. Wira saya itu saya lowered kan menggunakan spring sport, sport rim 15, tayar pirelli, ekzos bising dan sistem audio pula saya guna amp dan subwoofer. Head unit pula adalah CD player SONY XPLOD. Ini belum zaman MP3 lagi ye. So no such thing as USB player. Handphone zaman ni pun belum smart. 

Hari ini, The Star membawa laporan dibawah dimana Proton WIRA merupakan antara kereta ter hot untuk dicuri. Membaca laporan ini mengimbau kenangan Proton WIRA saya. Dulu senang nak cari sparepart WIRA. Barang-barang performance dan aftermarket pun senang. Pergi je ke kedai Brothers. Dibawah merupakan laporan yang dipetik dari akhbar The Star Online.

EXCLUSIVE: PETALING JAYA: The Proton Wira, which has little value in the used car market, is surprisingly a hot item among thieves.

Last year, statistics showed this model was number one on the stolen cars list. A total of 654 cars were reported stolen.
General Insurance Association of Malaysia (PIAM) chief executive Mark Lim said the cars were definitely stolen for the parts.
“We believe the stolen vehicles were cannibalised and the parts sold as production of spare parts for this model has been stopped and the parts are difficult to obtain in the market,” he said in an interview with The Star.
A Proton spare parts dealer in Jalan Ipoh in Kuala Lumpur said many of the Wira’s interior items are no longer in production.

These include the dashboard, instrument panel, control panels, cushions, speedometer, handbrake lever, steering and other smaller items inside the car.

“The parts are scattered and difficult to find in the market. Even if they are available, the items could be the last few from the old stock.”
He said many Proton Wira spare parts were becoming more difficult to find as the items were no longer in production.
The industry, he said, had been told by Proton Wira spare parts manufacturers that the company planned to cease the production of parts for this model by the year’s end as it is no longer economically viable to make it.
The only option, he said, was to find the spare parts at the “potong-kereta” outlets. Proton Wira was produced between early 1993 and June 2009.
In its 16 years production, 952,216 units were sold. It has been estimated that at least 85% of the models are still on the road.
A second-hand car dealer, James Lim, said a Proton Wira in good condition could fetch between RM2,000 and RM4,500 each, depending on the year the car was manufactured and its model – either automatic or manual, hatchback or saloon.
“The value of the model offered by second-hand dealers is definitely much lower than the market price. Some dealers are only offering as much as RM1,000 for the model.”
He said many second-hand dealers were reluctant to trade this model as they found it difficult to dispose of the vehicles as buyers have to pay cash for the car.
“The model is too old, spare parts are difficult to find and banks have refused loans. Even many insurance companies would not want to insure the vehicles. If they do, Proton Wira car owners have to pay a higher premium and additional loading for it,” he said.
He said the model had been tagged as “high-risk cars for the second-hand market”.
However, a Sungai Besi junkyard operator, who only wanted to be identified as Lim, said the model still had value, either as scrap metal or second-hand parts.
A Proton Wira could fetch between RM5,000 and RM7,000 if the vehicle was cannibalised.
The gearbox and engine alone can fetch between RM1,000 and RM2,500 each, depending on its model and year the vehicle is ma­­nufactured.
“The speedometer and other gadgets on the dashboard can fetch good prices as many are no longer or easily available in the market,” he said.
The entire original seats, if in good condition, could be disposed of for RM200 a set.
The junkyard operator said Proton Wira spare parts were considered a hot item in the second-hand market as there are still many cars of this model on the road.
“It was one of the robust cars, where many of its parts and engines were directly imported from Japan, to be assembled locally when it was first introduced to the market.”

Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/04/02/wira-the-choice-of-car-thieves-unwanted-by-the-used-vehicle-market-but-highly-sought-after-by-parts/#9O3oHMLqumvFk6ZA.99