Business
The e-commerce company had acquired RedMart in November 2016, but kept it as a standalone entity until now.
File photos of Lazada and RedMart logos.
SINGAPORE: E-commerce company Lazada on Thursday (Jan 31) announced it will make its foray into the online supermarket in Southeast Asia starting with Singapore, with the integration of RedMart into its platform.
RedMart, which Lazada acquired for an undisclosed sum in November 2016, will move over to the e-commerce platform from Mar 15 this year. Lazada said this will allow shoppers to buy groceries and fresh produce along with the other products already on its online shopping site in a single location.
Orders on the new RedMart on Lazada will continue to be fulfilled by the online grocer in customers’ chosen delivery slot between 7am and 10pm, while orders with other Lazada sellers will be fulfilled separately, the press release said.
Existing RedMart customers can continue shopping on the existing app and website until 11.59pm on Mar 14, before the migration kicks in. They will have to download the Lazada app to continue using the service after that, it added.
RedMart co-founder Roger Egan appointed to spearhead Lazada’s online supermarket expansion plans. (Photo: Kevin Kwang)
This move is aimed at catering to the rising demand of supermarket shopping as consumers increasingly buy their groceries online, the company said. It said the grocery market in Southeast Asia is expected to be worth US$309 billion by 2021.
It added that it is looking to launch its grocery and supermarket business in at least one other city from the second half of this year.
RedMart co-founder Roger Egan will spearhead Lazada’s push into the supermarket business in Southeast Asia. He will oversee the expansion, launch and operations for its supermarket business and delivery network across the region, the release said.
