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MANILA, Philippines – Grab’s journey began with an ambition – to provide a safer transportation option for Filipino commuters.
A few years after launching their transport services in the Philippines, they saw an even bigger opportunity to improve people’s lives. From “GrabTaxi”, they went with just “Grab” to complement their renewed ambition – to be an everyday, everything app.
Today, whether you’re referring to how you’ll get home or where you’ll get food (Mag ga-grab lang ako), the word “Grab” has become synonymous with convenience.
RJ Cabaluna, Grab Philippines’ country marketing head, said that he’d describe 2019 as a year that GrabFood and GrabPay have grown so much.
GrabFood just celebrated their 1st anniversary last November yet with the milestones that they’ve achieved, having been recognized by a global market research firm as the most used food delivery platform in the Philippines, it’s as if they’ve been in the playing field long enough to know what makes every Pinoy tick.
This inspired GrabFood Philippines Head EJ dela Vega and his team to amp up their efforts to provide more economic opportunities for Filipinos. Now, they’re in more than 37 areas in the Philippines including Laguna, Pampanga, Metro Cebu, Bacolod, and Iloilo. This means that Grab currently has more than 10,000 merchant-partners that range from luxury restaurants, fast-food chains, down to mom-and-pop stores and Makati’s famous Jolly Jeeps.
24 Chicken, one of the recognized breakthrough merchants at Grab’s first Golden Lunchbox Awards credits GrabFood for their increased revenue. “When GrabFood was introduced to us, our sales doubled or sometimes even tripled. From 1 branch, we now have around 10 branches in two years because of GrabFood. We weren’t expecting an influx of customers but with Grab, we now serve more customers than before,” said Jeff Uy and Jeff Sy, owners of 24 Chicken.
2019 is also the year Grab launched Grab for Good, a social impact program that aims to empower MSMEs and promote financial inclusion.
In a report they released last September, 9 million people in Southeast Asia are now using the platform to earn an income and grow their businesses. Alicia Laqi, owner of Sisig sa Rada, one of the Jolly Jeeps in Makati, said that GrabFood has helped her increase her revenue by allowing her to reach more people. “While the queue for my food already reaches far beyond a normal line, my revenues rose sharply because of the addition of GrabFood. It helped complement my already popular small stall and allowed me to earn more without adding a new branch,” she said.
Aside from providing jobs and helping microentrepreneurs expand their businesses, they’ve also started offering loans to driver-partners and MSMEs to help them grow their businesses or get them through emergency expenses.
Another innovation GrabFood is also proud of is the launch of GrabKitchen. GrabKitchen offers customers an on-demand delivery and in-store dining experience through a self-order kiosk. They offer users in a particular city a variety of food selections in one kitchen.
They opened a branch in Glorietta 2 and partnered with the following merchants: Omakase, Mister Kabab, 24 Chicken, Recovery Food, Frank and Dean, and CoCo Fresh Tea and Juice.
GrabKitchen helps MSMEs reach more clients without incurring additional costs. While cloud kitchens are usually delivery-only in nature, Grab Philippines added the dine-in experience knowing that Filipinos love to eat together and share their food.
Grab Philippines is also making waves through GrabPay. Now that customers can pay for their GrabFood deliveries, shopping items and groceries, bills and utilities, and more using the platform’s cashless payment method – the GrabPay wallet, more Filipinos are now ditching cash for a hassle-free transaction. For Jonathan Bates, head of GrabPay, this is their way of helping reduce the number of unbanked Filipinos or those who don’t have their own bank accounts.
Building on the idea of Grab being no longer just about transport, Bates, says that their goal in 2020 is to bring the convenience of cashless to as many Filipinos as possible. Thanks to their partnership with SM Investments Corporation (SMIC) and other partners, it has begun. Today, GrabPay can now be used to pay for GrabFood deliveries from over 10,000 restaurant partners, more than 5000 shopping, grocery and food outlets nationwide such as SM Stores, Starbucks and more, and pay for bills and utilities. Bates plans to make this platform available in cities outside the metro and eventually make Grab a 100% cashless app.
While Grab Philippines’ ambition has evolved, their passion to make an impact on communities remains the same.
With their expansion, Brian Cu, Grab Philippines president, recognizes the important role they play in addressing socio-economic challenges. May it be about championing financial literacy, giving safer transportation or offering additional income streams, he vows to help more Filipinos both living inside and outside Metro Manila thrive this 2020. For Cu, everyone can grow with Grab.
Cu and the rest of the executives of Grab Philippines are dedicated towards creating an impact by leveling the playing field and improving the quality of life for everyone. – Rappler.com
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