The RMCO has slowly given businesses the opportunity to pick themselves back up. The way people are shopping is a lot different this time, and rely on delivery companies like Grab and Lalamove to send their items to their doorstep. This is why quite a few retail companies have teamed up with GrabMart for their new ‘Instant Retail’ initiative.
“The ‘new normal’ will potentially affect retailers who traditionally rely on high foot traffic and walk-ins from health and beauty retailers, toys, gifts and stationery shops to florists. This is a gap where we believe GrabMart is able to step in and address, while helping to make the government’s upcoming Shop Malaysia Online initiative a success,” said Sean Goh, Managing Director of Grab Malaysia.
Here’s how to look for the new ‘Instant Retail’ stores in your Grab app:
- Download Grab (iOS, Android) and register
- Press on ‘Mart’ in the front pahe
- You’re now free to scroll through the available stores near you
- Each store will tell you how long delivery would be (usually less than an hour) and how much the delivery charges are
I’ve gone through the ‘Mart’ section before, and I would only find grocery stores and pharmacies available. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I checked the section again today.
As you can see through the images above, I was able to find new non-grocery-or-pharmacy stores like a few flower shops, and even a store to get a big protein powder tub delivered right to my house. However, it’s important to note that shops in my area might not available in your area. The shops available are based on your location.
Other stores that you might come across when you use GrabMart include MPH, where you can get books and even make-up and skincare products from Althea Korea. You can even use the feature to order fresh produce.
GrabMart launched in November last year and has since expanded beyond Klang Valley to other cities such as Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Ipoh, Melaka and Penang. Grab also emphasises that their deliveries are “typically under 30 minutes for as low as RM5”.
Like the stores using the app to adapt to the pandemic, Grab has made many changes as well. A total of 360 Grab employees across Southeast Asia are affected by layoffs, but the company has become one of the most valuable startups in the area.
