SINGAPORE (May 28): Grab today announced the beta launch of its GrabFood delivery app in Singapore, with further plans to make the app and its services available in five other Southeast Asian countries – Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines – by the end of 2Q18.
GrabFood is positioned as an “everyday app” to provide Southeast Asian consumers transport, food, delivery and payments services within a single platform.
Aside from facilitating on-demand and pre-scheduled delivery services with no minimum order requirements, the app provides its users the option of splitting bills via GrabPay Credits.
It is now available for download on the Apple’s App Store and Google Play, and offers $5 off three GrabFood orders with the promo code ‘5OFF3’ from now till June 3.
For now, every dollar spent on the GrabFood app will award users five GrabRewards points which can be used to redeem rides on the Grab ride-hailing platform, or any discounts available on the GrabRewards catalogue.
All delivery partners of GrabFood are also provided on-the-job Personal Accident Insurance at no additional cost, and will be able to work without pre-booking their delivery slots as well as cash out their earnings for the day without any delays.
Grab’s foray into the food delivery market comes as the group comes under regulatory scrutiny from the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCS) for possible infringement by its acquisition of rival Uber Technologies’ Southeast Asian operations.
See: Singapore watchdog sets interim terms for Uber-Grab deal
See: Singapore watchdog says Uber-Grab deal may have infringed competition
GrabFood is the equivalent of Uber’s UberEATS food delivery platform and services, which ceased its apps’ operations as of Sunday as part of Uber’s integration of its ridesharing and food delivery business in the region into Grab’s platform.
At a press conference this morning on the beta launch of GrabFood, Lim Kell Jay, head of Grab Singapore, says the Grab’s current offerings in Singapore is but a subset of what the group offers in the region.
“As we build out an everyday app that offers transport, food and package delivery and mobile payments, Grab is focused on creating a seamless experience and unlocking value for our customers by offering complementary services on one platform,” says Lim.
“This is the future we are building towards and we look forward to working with industry players and governments to innovate and realise this vision together,” he adds.
Hailing GrabFood as a major milestone in making Grab “the everyday app for consumers”, James Ong, head of GrabFood Singapore, says he sees “huge potential” in helping food vendors reap incremental benefits and reach a wider customer base.
As for the ongoing investigations by CCS, Lim says Grab will be engaging with the authorities “very closely” on the matter.
“We are helping the CCS understand as well that the Grab’s business is not just transport, but also other services such as food and payments. We are a tech platform that enables multiple parties to enjoy the services that we provide and business to provide those services,” comments Lim.
