Improving Indonesian Small Economies by Digitizing Traditional Shops: A Case Study of Mitra Bukalapak

The purpose of this research is to underline the novel ways Indonesian traditional small shops are exploiting the digital era. By using the ASEAN MSME development policy as its main theoretical lens, this research offers empirical evidences as to how Indonesian traditional small shops overcome the digital-era challenges and strategize for the upcoming future. Primary data were collected through a series of interviews with traditional small shop owners whom were members of Mitra Bukalapak in the greater Jakarta region. This research has shown that Mitra Bukalapak can serve as a solution to foster further business growth of Indonesian MSMEs. The Mitra Bukalapak's digitalization initiative have offered numerous business advantages that were realized by complementing traditional small shops with modern digital tools.