Ninja Van Philippines and Universal Robina Corp. recently forged a deal to enhance the listed consumer and food beverage company’s distribution efficiency across key regions.
The partnership, currently in its trial phase, leverages Ninja Van’s Ninja Restock, a flagship service designed to streamline the logistics of fast-moving consumer goods. Through this service, Ninja Van facilitates the pick-up, sorting, and delivery of URC products to various retail locations in South Luzon, from major malls to small, independent stores.
The primary aim of Ninja Restock is to address the inefficiencies of traditional distribution models, which often struggle to meet the needs of increasingly diverse retail formats. Ninja Restock solves this by enabling Ninja Van to co-load shipments, allowing businesses to send partial loads—whether a single case or a full pallet—directly to their destination. This significantly reduces wait times and costs, making it possible to serve a broader spectrum of retail formats with greater speed and efficiency.
“As retail continues to evolve, so must distribution strategies. Many FMCGs face challenges in efficiently reaching smaller retail doors like convenience stores and local groceries,”said Vin Perez, country head of Ninja Van Philippines.
In tandem with the logistics innovation, URC recently visited Ninja Van’s Cabuyao warehouse, the company’s largest automated sorting facility in Southeast Asia. The tour was part of URC’s leadership conference focused on digital transformation and “Factory of the Future.” URC chief executive officer Irwin Lee, emphasized the company’s commitment to technology to enhance supply chain operations and improve distribution. “We believe in the power of technology to improve every stage of our operations, and we’re excited to work with a partner who shares our vision,” Lee said.
Ninja Van is introducing scan-to-print technology, a tool that reduces human error in sorting and offers real-time tracking for each SKU product. This technology ensures that each box or case is automatically assigned to its correct restock destination, providing better visibility and control for URC and other FMCG companies.
Despite being in the trial stage, Ninja Van’s innovations show great promise in transforming how FMCGs approach their logistics, with both companies eager to expand on the partnership as the technology continues to evolve.
