Tag: Grab

Thailand — Kerry Express, Thailand’s leading express delivery service, partners with Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading super-app, to add a new service to the market. Starting in 2022, the Kerry Express application will provide ‘Instant Pick-up Service’, an option that allows parcels to be picked up within 30 minutes and an ‘Express Pick Up’ option that allows customers to schedule parcel pickups every hour. KEX and Grab will launch a pilot test in Greater Bangkok.

Alex Ng, CEO of Kerry Express, commented, saying that in the past, the express delivery company found that many of Kerry Express’ customers chose to use rider service or a messenger to deliver the parcel to Kerry’s store to avoid the traffic, travelling fee, and save time. To fulfil this unmet need, Kerry Express has developed the door-to-door instant pickup and express pickup, with two more upgrades including; instant pick-up service within 30 minutes and express pick-up service with an hourly schedule.

The instant pick-up service is suitable for merchants who already packed their items and seek immediate delivery or those who have limitations of time, customers can expect rider-partner to pick up the items within 30 minutes. Meanwhile, merchants who have a fixed delivery schedule can enjoy express pick-up service, in which rider-partners pick up the parcels on an hourly basis. Both services will have rider-partners pick up the package and drop it off at the nearest KEX Parcel Shop. There will be no extra charges on the shipping fee and will be the same as the fee at the KEX parcel shop. The receipt will be sent to the registered email and the Kerry Express Application.

Alejandro Osorio, country head of Grab Thailand, commented that the collaboration between Grab Thailand and Kerry Express is another highlight in the parcel delivery industry.

“Customers can enjoy the convenience of using the express parcel pick-up services via Kerry Express Application with our rider-partner pick-up services that are available in two options: instant and hourly. The new services are distinguished from other standard services thanks to the combination of Kerry’s existing service shops available throughout the country and Grab’s hundreds of thousands of riders and driver-partners operating across Thailand. Grab believes that the synergies pilot for the instant parcel pick-up services in the greater Bangkok area will help create a better experience for Kerry’s customers, who will relish convenient and rapid service at an affordable price,” Osorio said.

Meanwhile, Ng shared his own comments on the partnership.

“We are very glad to have Grab Thailand as a partner to provide the services. Kerry Express is a leader in express parcel delivery that has been operating in Thailand for more than 15 years. In addition to our excellent service, we provide service shops that cover more than 20,000 locations across the country. On the other hand, Grab is considered to be a strong ally in terms of brand, speedy delivery, and reliability, with its large database of rider-partners who are ready to pick up parcels from our customers anywhere at any moment. Therefore, this alliance will serve the needs of our users who will definitely enjoy a greater experience,” Ng said.

Recently, Grab also announced they acquired a majority stake in Jaya Grocer, a leading supermarket chain in Malaysia. 

Singapore — Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading super-app, announced the acquisition of a majority stake in Jaya Grocer, a leading mass-premium supermarket chain in Malaysia. The two companies plan on bringing the convenience of on-demand grocery delivery to more customers in Malaysia.

With the partnership, Jaya Grocer will now be part of Grab’s ecosystem, allowing the grocery chain to accept GrabPay and GrabRewards across all its physical retail stores, expanding usage of Grab’s popular cashless wallet.

Grab disclosed that the acquisition is timely as there is an accelerated growth in on-demand delivery services due to the pandemic causing consumers to opt for online grocery shopping. With a forecast that online grocery in Southeast Asia could grow to US$50B in gross merchandise value, equal to the size of the entire e-commerce market today, the technology company sees the acquisition as an advance step to get ahead and secure a foothold in the industry post-pandemic.

Online grocery demand remained elevated even as restrictions eased. GrabMart, Grab’s on-demand grocery and speciality retail marketplace, recorded three straight quarters of growth in the first three quarters of 2021. Jaya Grocer, a trusted and well-loved consumer brand in Malaysia, also saw continued strong growth, with revenues growing at double-digit rates year-on-year from 2018 to 2020, and is EBITDA accretive to Grab’s business. 

Anthony Tan, Group CEO and co-founder at Grab, said that it is the company’s vision to make on-demand groceries more accessible for everyone.

“Jaya Grocer is known for its wide selection of good-quality fresh produce and grocery products. By combining our extensive on-demand delivery fleet and capabilities, with Jaya Grocer’s strong retail presence and supplier network, we can have these quality products delivered to more homes even faster. We believe this partnership will further accelerate the growth of our groceries delivery business, and we are excited by the immense opportunity ahead of us,” Tan said.

Meanwhile, Teng Yew Huat, founder of Jaya Grocer, shared his thoughts on the partnership, saying, “I have built Jaya Grocer from the ground up – from our first store in Klang Valley to over 40 stores today. Grab’s strong track record and ability to execute in a hyperlocal way gives me confidence that I have found the right partner to take Jaya Grocer to new heights. This acquisition provides us with an amazing opportunity to not only grow as a company, but also grow the market for online grocery services in Malaysia.” 

Grab continues to double down on on-demand grocery delivery. The company is scaling its GrabMart marketplace by partnering with retailers to provide consumers with greater product variety and convenience. The acquisition enables Grab to bring more Jaya Grocer retail stores onto its marketplace, while also leveraging Jaya Grocer’s large supplier network to further expand its GrabSupermarket product line at lower costs. This in turn contributes to improved unit economics and overall affordability of grocery delivery.

Philippines – Grab has extended GrabGifts, its in-app gifting capability to now allow users to send gifts to loved ones on-demand outside their home country. Users will now be able to send vouchers and gifts to family and friends in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. 

The enhanced gifting experience is powered by two new features, which is Grab’s revamped GrabGifts interface, and a new 100+ Cities Delivery feature, in BETA version, which enables users to order and send food and physical gifts from GrabFood and GrabMart merchant-partners that are available in the recipient’s city within an hour 

Grab said that the enhanced feature is in response to the current travel restrictions that continue to be unstable amid new Covid variants. The platform said its survey among Grab users in Southeast Asia revealed that more than half intend to send gifts on-demand to loved ones in other cities. 

Grab’s CMO Cheryl Goh said that while Grab was primarily marketed to answer to personal needs, the platform has eventually grown to be “a powerful vehicle” for building and maintaining connections between loved ones. 

“But with many countries yet to fully open their borders, we wanted to do more. We are so excited to now be able to bridge even longer distances between loved ones. We hope this will bring a festive cheer to all our users in Southeast Asia,” said Goh. 

The voucher categories under GrabGifts span Grab’s food, mart, express, and transport services. As part of the new interface, users will be able to send their recipients up to three voucher options to choose from. In addition, users will also be able to select from a range of designs and add in a personalized message.

Manila, Philippines – The pandemic has resulted in various consumer behavior changes, including the boost of the food and grocery delivery platforms, including the superapp Grab. According to their latest study with NielsenIQ, more F&B brands are giving food delivery a shot, with the number of monthly active merchants in GrabFood increasing by 60% in 2020.

As a leading delivery operator of F&B brands, Grab unveils its awards body for recognizing top-performing partner merchants in the Philippines, called ‘Golden Grab Awards 2021’ which was recently held virtually for the first time, celebrating its best-performing GrabFood and GrabMart merchant-partners.

The award categories are a mix of data-driven and people’s choice awards, and are split in three categories: Sale Superstars, Merchant Congeniality, and Golden Cart. These awards celebrated the best of GrabFood’s merchant-partner rookies, best curated menus, top-performing merchants for every meal, best-rated merchants, and many more.

For the Sales Superstars Awards, some of the awards granted are creatively named after the various meal time occasions. In this instance, Breakfast Champs’ or catered to breakfast, is awarded to Starbucks and to Conti’s Bakeshop and Restaurant; ‘Lunch Leaders’ or for lunch time are awarded to popular fast-food franchises Jollibee and Mang Inasal; ‘Merienda Masters’ for afternoon snack time are awarded to S&R New York Style Pizza and Angel’s Pizza; while ‘Dinner Dash’ for dinner deliveries are awarded to fast-food chains Chowking and KFC; and ‘Midnight Munchies’ for late-night snackage are awarded to McDonald’s and Army Navy Burger + Burrito.

Other ‘Sales Superstars Awards’ include ‘Promo Masters’ for Shakey’s Pizza and Monicar General Merchandise, ‘GrabAds Guru’ for Mary Grace Cafe and Kenny Rogers Roasters, ‘Campaign King’ for Selecta Ice Cream Shop (GrabFood) and Robinsons Supermarket Corporation (GrabMart), and ‘Data Dynamo’ for Picabean Coffee House (GrabFood) and DRTM Store (GrabMart)

Meanwhile, the Merchant Congeniality Awards are awards given out to partner-merchants that show satisfactory performance on their operations, ranging from delivery efficiency, menu diversity, and hygiene standards. The awards are as follows:

  • Menu Maven-Blake’s Wings & Steaks (GrabFood), Ever Supermarket (GrabMart)
  • Need For Speed-Turks
  • Hygiene Hero-Chooks to Go
  • Pack It Like It’s Hot-Corndog28, Shake Shack
  • Newbie No More-Thai Mango
  • Ultimate Lifesaver-Robinsons Supermarket Corporation
  • Riders Choice Award-Starbucks
  • Staff Salute Award-Classic Savory – SM City Las Pinas

Lastly, the Golden Cart Awards are as follows:

  • Golden Grab Rider-Partner-Wendell Fajardo Songco
  • Top Trender Award-Andok’s Litson Baka
  • Golden Merchant Badge-Big Al’s Cookie Jar
  • Eager Expander Award-Pan de Manila
  • Long Distance League Award-Samgyupsmile Delivery – Molino 3

“Through this celebration, Grab continues to support the growth of its merchant-partners whose partnership with the superapp has been integral in its commitment to providing Filipinos with everyday essentials,” the company said in a press statement.

They added, “In the times of limited or restricted movement, Filipinos have come to rely on online food and essentials delivery services providers such as GrabFood and GrabMart. As the country eases back on quarantine restrictions, Grab, a leading superapp in Southeast Asia, does not fail to recognize the merchant-partners who have been integral to these services.”

Jakarta, Indonesia – Understanding that health and digitalization are the foundation of the society and economy, Grab, together with telco EMTEK and e-commerce Bukalapak, has recently launched an accelerator program called, ‘City of the Future’, aimed at targeting 10,000 MSMEs in small cities throughout Indonesia and help them on vaccination, adoption of digital platforms, and empowerment through training and mentoring for business development.

‘City of the Future’ will start in Kupang and East Nusa Tenggara, and will continue gradually in Solo, Gowa, and Malang, as well as Pekanbaru until the end of December 2021. MSMEs who will be joining this program can reach millions of Grab and Bukalapak consumers in the country. They will also be getting new income opportunities by having digital stores so as to maintain the stability of their business even during the pandemic. 

Through the program, Grab, Emtek, and Bukalapak will combine their expertise to train and assist MSMEs in order to improve their ability to be ready in joining the digital economy. Around 100 selected MSMEs in Kupang and Solo will also receive special training on business management mentored by Grab and Bukalapak, free assistance for one month from the design, packaging to marketing through social media and influencers, and free advertising on Grab and Bukalapak platforms. Moreover, five selected MSMEs will be receiving publication on the Emtek Group media network.

Neneng Goenadi, the country managing director of Grab Indonesia, commented, “We believe big futures also exist in small towns. We hope that the program can open the door to a wider market for MSMEs in small cities without having to move locations, and in the end, will have a comprehensive impact on the regional economy.”

Meanwhile, Sutanto Hartono, EMTEK’s managing director, said that the digital ecosystem collaboration owned by EMTEK and Grab will provide more complete access to MSMEs on our platform, from logistics to financial inclusion, through the Mitra Bukalapak and GrabKios platforms, for example.

“The EMTEK media network will play a role in increasing awareness for both customers and MSME players on the maximum use of digital platforms,” said Hartono.

Rachmat Kaimuddin, Bukalapak’s president director, noted that this joint collaboration continues their commitment to support the development of MSMEs in Indonesia through digitalization. 

“The Future City Program, which prioritizes tier 2 and 3 cities throughout Indonesia, is in line with our mission to create a fair economy for all with the main focus on empowering MSMEs and serving underserved segments.”

Manila, Philippines – Security Bank Corporation’s consumer finance arm, SB Finance Corporation (SBF), has partnered with Grab Philippines to offer personal loans to Grab users, driver-partners, and merchant-partners through Grab’s superapp.

The partnership will enable Grab users to apply for an SB Finance personal loan of up to ₱2M with payment terms of up to 36 months. It aims to support Grab’s diverse ecosystem and provide more value-added products for a targeted market segment while growing its loan portfolio. 

The loan application will be through an online process and applicants can expect funds to be released in five days.

“Our strategic partnership with Grab Philippines aims to assist Filipinos by conveniently extending personal loans for their needs. We’re optimistic that Grab users, driver, delivery, and merchant-partners will be able to experience a holistic digital lending experience as we navigate the new normal,” said Abbie Casanova, SB Finance’s CEO and president.

Meanwhile, Erwin Yamsuan, Grab’s head of financial services for the Philippines, shared that the superapp has strived to provide value to consumers and stakeholders and empower them by leveraging its technology and offering its suite of reliable and convenient products and services. 

“The partnership with SB Finance will give our users more access to much-needed financing which they can use to pursue business plans, do home improvement, or pay for health emergencies, among others. We hope that through these loans, consumers can sustain or improve their quality of life, especially during this pandemic,” said Yamsuan.

Grab said that through its Grab Financial Group, it will be offering several financial products to its driver, delivery, and merchant partners. These include offline and online loans, purchase financing, and postpaid fuel cards for driver-partners. It will also offer working capital loans for merchants. 

On the consumer side, Grab also has its PayLater service that allows consumers to pay for Grab services a month later, in one monthly bill, while GrabPay will also be giving its users a more rewarding experience as consumers earn GrabRewards points for their purchases using the service. These points can then be used to avail of discounts, and deals on Grab-related services and other merchant partners.

Philippines – There’s no doubt that more than just being what used to be an exciting past-time and a convenient solution, online food deliveries have now become the crucial element this pandemic for both consumers and business owners, with strict national protocols enforcing everyone to stay within the premises of their own home.

Grab, the top ride-hailing app in Southeast Asia, that soon grew into a superapp has released its first-ever ‘Food Trends Report’ in the Philippines, drawing insights from its food delivery business GrabFood for the period of 2019-2021. 

For starters, the study shows that during this period, food delivery has also served to be Filipinos’ go-to solution in battling traffic and road problems. Pre-pandemic, these were already in Filipinos’ top dilemmas, and even now that times have changed, Filipinos are dealing with them the same even amid less opportunities for cars to roam freely in the streets. 

In the study which was conducted by NielsenIQ, it shows that among the top reasons Filipinos order food delivery in 2020 is so that they don’t need to worry about traffic or parking. This is together with Filipnos’ desire to satisfy cravings for food they can’t cook, and due to simply not having the time to cook. 

Grab Philippines_Filipinos
Infographic from Grab Philippines

Due to the demands of family that has been augmented by the ongoing pandemic, the report found that it is families who have children that order the most from food delivery, with 65% of them belonging to the 25-44 year-old bracket. 

With Filipinos looking to delivery as a save from the rigorous preparations of their favorite dishes; pizza, cake, and pasta were found to be some of the favorite food items that Filipinos like to search on the Grab app. In fact, pizza was searched 6 million times on GrabFood in 2020. 

Grab Philippines_Filipinos
Infographic from Grab Philippines

What’s more, despite it being a staple only for celebrations, Filipinos’ orders for cake also grew by 2.6 times in the year 2020 compared to the previous year. 

In terms of the time of the day, it seems that it is immaterial for Filipino foodies on what time they’d prefer to put in their orders, where most orders were made for dinner, lunch, and ‘merienda’ or afternoon time. However, in 2020, Filipinos were shown to spend more on breakfast with a 35% increase in basket size for the said part of the day. 

On top of Filipinos’ delivery behavior, the average Filipino consumer is trying approximately 2-3 different restaurants in a month in 2020, with ‘variety of food’ and ‘value for money’ as their main considerations. 

Grab Philippines_Filipinos
Infographic from Grab Philippines

With Grab’s report originally dedicated to bring commercial awareness to F&B merchants, the report reveals that most of all, more F&B brands are giving food delivery a shot, with the number of monthly active merchants in GrabFood increasing by 60% in 2020. 

Aside from research insights, the report by Grab also includes content on the state of the food delivery business as a whole in the country as well as tips on digital marketing for F&B businesses. 

Statistics were derived from Grab’s internal database between 2019–2020. The research conducted also includes interviews with food industry professionals, restaurateurs, consumer surveys, and focus groups.

Bangkok, Thailand – Super-app Grab in Thailand has rolled out a new campaign titled, ‘Dear Homosapiens’, to encourage the cash-loving nation to use its digital wallet service, GrabPay. 

According to Grab, Thai users remain adamant in trying its in-app e-wallet as they still seem to be tied to the traditional practice of cash. Ever since GrabPay has been introduced, Grab has been aggressively marketing it as a top preferred mode of payment in availing its services such as GrabFood and GrabMart and most especially its ride-hailing service, continuously launching discounts corresponding to its use. Grab even said that majority perceived the service as way too complicated for them. 

In order to turn this view around, Grab in Thailand collaborated with creative agency Wolf Bangkok and production company Salmon House to launch a new ad – a quirky conversation between an ape and a naive lazy man who thinks that everything is complicated. In order to stress its simplicity and ease of use, in a sarcastic spin-off, it is the ape who explains to the fully-evolved homosapien how to use GrabPay. 

“This commercial film aims to shift Grab users’ behavior by using a hilarious conversation to attract the audience and to deliver the message ‘GrabPay Wallet is really easy to use’,” said Wolf Bangkok in a press statement.

Manila, Philippines – Super-app Grab in the Philippines has partnered with Microsoft to launch the GrabAcademy online platform, with the aim to provide its driver and delivery partners free and equitable access to new learning and development opportunities to enhance their skills and become competitive in the digital-first economy.

The GrabAcademy has three learning pillars, namely ‘Safety across the platform’, ‘Growing within the platform’, and ‘Thriving beyond the platform’. In addition, topics such as taxation and vehicle sanitation will also be migrated online. 

Interested participants can easily register within their Grab Driver app, and will receive a completion certificate upon accomplishing the courses.

Grace Vera Cruz, the country head of Grab Philippines, shared that the super-app’s driver and delivery partners have spent many years providing essential services to all their kababayans (fellow countrymen), and as a community partner, they are committed to supporting their everyday needs and their long-term success. 

“Our GrabAcademy is a clear expression of our long-term commitment to the development and well-being of our partners – both within and beyond our platform, and we are blessed and excited to be with Microsoft on this journey. Through this partnership, we hope to deliver these programs that will provide more holistic training support for our partners to help them become more competitive in a digital-first Philippines,” said Vera Cruz.

Meanwhile, Microsoft Philippines’ Country Manager Andres Ortola commented, “We’re excited to join hands with Grab Philippines in this effort, which will be the first of many more programs to drive positive outcomes and economic recovery for the Philippines.”

Just recently, Grab Philippines has also launched ‘GrabBayanihan Vaccination Support Program’, in an aim to motivate all its consumers, drivers, and delivery partners to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Manila, Philippines – Super-app Grab in the Philippines has launched ‘GrabBayanihan Vaccination Support Program’, to help increase vaccine access and education for Filipinos. 

The program aims to encourage all consumers, drivers, and delivery partners to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Through this, Grab will work closely with the national and local government units and leverage its ground fleet network and app.

Grab will be subsidizing COVID-19 vaccinations for the driver and delivery partners who are not covered by the national vaccination program. It will also be launching a specialized car fleet composed of vaccinated driver-partners to provide discounted mobility services to senior citizens and high-risk Filipinos going to and from vaccination centers.

Furthermore, Grab will also work with the Department of Health (DOH) to provide accurate vaccine and other public health information within dedicated high-visibility spaces in the Grab app to combat misinformation and boost public confidence in COVID-19 vaccines. The super-app will launch a ‘COVID-19 Snap Survey’, which will enable DOH to gather real-time data on vaccine sentiment and conduct a series of workshops and town halls to educate Filipinos on getting vaccinated.

Grab Philippines’ country head Grace Vera Cruz said, “Now that we are gradually striving towards socio-economic recovery, we believe that the vaccination efforts from both the private and public sectors provide much-needed hope for many of our kababayans (fellow citizens). Through Grab Philippines’ technology, platform, and partnerships, we are reinforcing our commitment to supporting livelihoods and helping the recovery of our communities.”

This year, Grab has also shown its commitment to vaccination efforts in Indonesia. It has been using its platform as an educational channel to fight misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine and has been opening new vaccination centers in different parts of the country, including Bali and Banten Province.