Kilo becomes the first B2B ecommerce marketplace in Vietnam to adopt innovative location technology what3words

Businesses and wholesalers across Vietnam use the Kilo app everyday for high value and large deliveries. However, street addresses in Vietnam and across the world are often complex – postal codes can cover broad areas and, most of the time, don’t lead to exactly the right place. In Vietnam, addresses are often informal and don’t appear on most smartphone apps, which can negatively impact the delivery experience and make large wholesale deliveries extremely challenging. For example, store entrances or specific delivery points can be difficult to find and hard to describe. This is something what3words is perfectly designed to solve.

It has divided the world into 3m x 3m squares, and given each square a unique combination of three words: a what3words address. For example, ///letter.cookie.shelving identifies a specific entrance at the Ben Thanh Market. The technology is used across industries including automotive, navigation, travel, logistics, ecommerce, humanitarian and ride-hailing. It works offline and in 54 languages, including Vietnamese.

Kilo customers can discover their what3words address via the free what3words app – available for iOS and Android – or the online map at what3words.com. They can then use their what3words for deliveries at the Kilo checkout page. The partnership will optimise the delivery process, giving customers and sellers the confidence that goods will be delivered to any precise location, easily identifiable by three simple words.

Adoption of what3words in Vietnam is growing at pace. Last year, Hoa Sen Việt Group became the first consumer retailer to adopt the technology. Now Reebok Vietnam, TheFaceShop and Beauty Box customers can input their what3words address at checkout to specify exactly where they want their delivery to go. The what3words address is passed to Ahamove, a leading logistic service in Vietnam, so the courier can confidently make the delivery exactly where it needs to go.

Kartick Narayan, Founder and CEO of Kilo says: “This integration solves a key customer pain point of being able to get products delivered on time and with accuracy. We are pleased to bring what3words great technology to add real value to our busy customers’ lives. Kilo was founded to bring millions of traditional businesses in Vietnam online and this partnership adds to the ease of running a business on Kilo.”

Co-founder and CEO of what3words Chris Sheldrick adds: “When it comes to large and high value deliveries, it’s so important that the seller and customer both feel confident that goods will arrive in the correct place at the right time. But in a country like Vietnam with a complex addressing infrastructure – this isn’t always guaranteed. what3words will give Kilo customers the reassurance that deliveries will be made precisely to any 3m square in Vietnam, whether that’s in an alley, or a specific store entrance without an address.”

what3words is being used by millions across the world. The technology has been adopted by leading car brands to enable drivers to navigate to precise destinations with ease. E-commerce and logistics giants such as DHL and Domino’s Pizza are using the technology to collect precise delivery locations at checkout, and to make sure goods arrive exactly where they’re needed. Companies such as Lonely Planet use what3words to help travellers find hotel entrances and hidden gems. Emergency call centres are also embracing what3words at a rapid pace, with control rooms in the UK, US, Singapore, and beyond all utilising the innovative technology. Just like street addresses, what3words addresses are being displayed on website contact pages, event invites, and business cards, so people can find exact destinations with ease. And every day, what3words is being used to arrange meet-ups in parks and on beaches and to share running, hiking, and sports match locations.