Groceries on your doorstep, which store came out tops in Singapore?

Online groceries – Which one come up tops in free shipping and lowest pricing? And which one has the most customer-friendly presence? Online shopping lets you have the convenience of skipping the trip to the store but not the immediate delivery of your items. So, we carted or rather clicked on eight essential household items and did a comparison amongst five major online grocery providers – RedMart, Giant, Lazada, Sheng Siong, and the latest NKOTB (or New Kid On The Block) Amazon Prime Now.

This is what we found. Read on!

 

Comparison Table

 

Tada! They are new but they sure know how to please us. Amazon Prime Now comes up top with a grand total of S$40.00 for eight typical items that includes a promise to deliver your items within two-hours!

Let’s break down each single grocery store and rate them.

 

RedMart

Source: Redmart

Mode: Mobile App.

First impression: The landing page looks cluttered and pictures of items are rectangular. They offer a basic search function that is friendly and will suggest items as you key along.

Pricing: Second cheapest of the lot but the delivery fee is S$5.99. If you’re a first-time customer, S$30 of shopping gets you free shipping, otherwise you have to spend a minimum of S$40. Your shopping will be delivered at a time of your convenience in any day of the week.

Ratings: The more alluring the platform is the better it will be for me as a consumer. RedMart claims to have a selection of over 51,000 products, but it was disappointing to see sold-out items in their listing. For that, RedMart receives 7 out of 10.

 

Giant

Source: Giant

Mode: Online webby.

First impression: Particularly like the localized feel of the website. They possess an array of products from clothing to electrical gadgets. Currently, what you type in the search box is what you get. Well, not entirely the case. Whilst searching for ‘oil’, a goat milk formula pops out in the top results.

Pricing: An order value of S$60 and above will be charged S$7 per delivery. For purchases below that, you will be charged S$12 per delivery. Delivery slots are available seven days a week till as late as 10 p.m.

Ratings: They have remained steadfast in the face of stiff competition from other new groceries. On the downside, there is no free delivery and the delivery fee they imposed is kind of expensive. Giant receives a generous 6 out of 10.

 

Lazada

Source: Lazada

Mode: Mobile App.

First impression: This is my personal favourite. Consumers will be pleased to know that their recently viewed items are stored in the app.

Pricing: The standard delivery fee is S$2.99 but for the impatient me, I need to pay S$5.99 for express delivery. If you make an order before 2 p.m. on a business day, you will be entitled to a same day delivery.

Ratings: I’m rating Lazada a high of 8. Once, I bought a faulty item from Lazada and yet I manage to resolve it on the same day! How about that! They have found a loyal customer in me from then on. And for that, they deserve this high rating.

 

Sheng Siong

Source: Sheng Siong

Mode: Online webby.

First impression: Sheng Siong’s online presence is simple and modest. The interface is not as glamourous as other grocery. But they make up for it through their range of products.

Pricing: Delivery doesn’t cover the whole of Singapore. To enjoy free delivery, your order must be worth S$100 or more. For orders below that threshold, an additional S$6 delivery fee applies.

Ratings: Having listed on SGX-ST in 2011, I regard their brand as a tried and tested one. The name of their ordering website, ‘All For You’, strikes a friendly chord with consumers both young and old. And for that Sheng Siong receives a well-evaluated rating of 8.

 

Amazon Prime Now

Source: Amazon Prime Now

Mode: Mobile App.

First impression: Amazon Prime Now is a speedy app. Controls are unobtrusive and functions of the app are apparent immediately. It speaks for itself. The app is also responsive in the way a consumer would appreciate. But on the other hand, it has no unique local features or content.

Pricing: I particularly like the option to leave your item at the door. S$40 worth of shopping entitles you to a free 2-hour delivery, if not; a delivery charge of S$5.99 applies. If two hours is too long of a wait, you can pay S$9.99 for deliveries within an hour. Delivery is available from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Ratings: Amazon Prime is Amazon’s paid membership program and Prime Now is catered specially for existing Amazon Prime customers. In Singapore, this service is free to use without a Prime membership but only for a limited time. I’m rating them a 7. For a newcomer, they look promising and modern but they will have to work doubly hard to convince online shoppers to switch to them.

 

Competition is good… for us

It will be perfect if search functions included a voice search capability, one that can recognise for example ‘Kang Kong’ and ‘Chye Sim’. This will not only exudes that ‘cool factor’ but also has a colloquial nature to it. Pushing apps to more loyal customers is a great way to help retention, and a recommended method for doing this is to utilise push notifications in their apps and website.

Savvy consumers also realise that there is no one-stop e-commerce platform. What you get in Amazon Prime Now and RedMart might be unavailable in Lazada and Sheng Siong and even Giant.

Moving forward, Southeast Asia is a lucrative market for e-commerce as millions of first-generation internet users are starting to embrace online shopping. Following this move, we shall see the growth of e-commerce in our region moving rapidly.

And with all that in mind, any sort of competition will only bring out one winner. The consumers.

(By Zee Noor)

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