Fast-Growing F&B Businesses Face Biggest Challenges During Expansion
THE Indonesian food and beverage (F&B) and retail industries are riding a growth momentum. But behind the surge of new outlets, many business operators are facing a new problem: losing operational control as the business expands. This phenomenon is drawing attention amid aggressive F&B and retail expansion in recent years. Bank Indonesia data show retail sales rising 6.5% year-on-year as of March 2026, while the food and beverage category recorded an 8.5% increase for eight consecutive months into the end of last year.
In practice, outlet growth does not always correspond to higher profitability. Many players are faced with issues such as fragmented transaction recording across branches, stock data not synchronised, and financial reports that can only be reconciled several weeks after month-end. These conditions make it difficult for businesses to maintain efficiency as the number of outlets grows.
“Stock leakage at the third outlet, selling prices not consistent at the fifth outlet, and cash that never truly reconciles,” is a common picture of problems when businesses enter multi-branch expansion. This situation is what is called the ‘expansion paradox,’ namely when network growth creates operational complexities that escalate.
Amid these conditions, operational digitalisation is coming into focus for business operators. The Mekari Software as a Service (SaaS) ecosystem, for instance, officially launched Mekari POS targeted at the F&B and retail sectors. Unlike conventional cash register systems, point-of-sale (POS) solutions are now positioned as a hub for real-time operational control of a business. Through a centralised multi-branch system, business owners can monitor the performance of all outlets on a single dashboard, from best-selling products and branch performance to stock levels at risk of running out. The company regards this approach as essential because managing a business now requires daily, direct operational monitoring rather than relying solely on monthly reports.
Mekari’s Chief Executive Officer, Suwandi Soh, said many retail and F&B businesses actually have strong market demand but fail to grow due to internal operational problems. “Many great businesses in Indonesia stop at the second or third outlet, not because they lack customers, but because they lose control of their own data,” he said. He argued that entrepreneurs need a system that allows expansion to be undertaken on the basis of more measured data and operations.
In addition to transaction management, system integration is becoming a primary requirement among business operators. Currently many F&B and retail businesses must manage various separate systems for cash registers, inventory, accounting, taxes, marketplaces, and human resources management. This often leads to manual reconciliation processes that take time.
To address these issues, Mekari POS is integrated with other Mekari services such as accounting, taxation, HR management, and omnichannel marketplace operations. Beyond operational efficiency, data security is also increasingly important for retail and F&B players, especially amidst rising digital transactions and cybersecurity threats. The company says the system is built using international security standard ISO 27001 and tailored to Indonesian regulations.
The launch of this POS solution also signals competition in Indonesia’s business software industry, which is moving toward developing integrated ecosystems rather than merely supplying standalone applications. As businesses expand their networks of outlets and engage in omnichannel sales, demand for end-to-end connected operational systems is expected to rise. This ecosystem-based approach enables a more consistent customer experience across touchpoints.
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