Grab Thailand extends 'Thai Fresh Market' via Partnership with Ministry of Commerce and Leading Supermarkets

Thai Fresh Market was initially launched in June 2020 and was trialed with a small selection of farmers and MSMEs onboard and quickly grew to several hundred. The expansion of the project into its next phase means that shoppers can now purchase more items including vegetables, fruit, seafood, and meat from more than 800 local agricultural communities and stores directly via GrabMart on the Grab application and receive their orders within 25 minutes.

Dr. Kengkran Louvirojanakul, Head of Public Affairs, Grab Thailand said, "Grab is committed to helping micro-entrepreneurs access more business opportunities and become active participants in the digital economy. Through our 'GrabForGood' mission, we are focused on providing support for local farmers and merchants whose distribution channels were disrupted when the global pandemic hit. We are pleased to be in collaboration with key players in both the public and private sector to supply high quality produce from local farms through the 'Thai Fresh Market' Phase 2 on GrabMart."

Ms. Chantsuda Thananitayaudom, Country Marketing & Partnership Head, Grab Thailand added, "' Since Thai Fresh Market launched we have received good feedback from farmers and micro-entrepreneurs who have been able to boost their sales and maintain their earning potential. Consumers are also happy with the great quality of goods that they can now obtain via GrabMart and play an important part in the initiative by regularly ordering these products, so we're pleased to be able to offer more options. The extension of the 'Thai Fresh Market' Phase 2 focuses on delivering more types of fresh produce directly to consumers and encouraging more micro-entrepreneurs and agricultural communities to more effectively use digital technology to grow their businesses."

Mr. Prinn Panitchpakdi, Advisor and Committee to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce stated, "The Ministry of Commerce plays an important role in driving the Thai economy with a mission to develop a strong trade infrastructure. We strive to reduce inequality and raise the country's income by making sure local farmers and merchants have many distribution channels. Our continued partnership with the private sector allows us to do this, ultimately to provide more income opportunities for micro-entrepreneurs, to help reduce the risk of oversupply, and support Thai businesses during the crisis. We are pleased to have extended 'Thai Fresh Market' Phase 2 with Grab, which will help local farmers and merchants see more sales to consumers."

Mr. Julien Tessonneau, Head of Boundaryless, Central Food Retail under Central Retail said, "The Central Retail family of brands is committed to being a driving force in the Thai economy while giving back to the community, especially to micro-entrepreneurs and local
farmers. We want to encourage households and communities to be self-reliant, earn income and grow sustainably, which includes buying agricultural products directly from farmers. Our newest brand, Jing Jai FARMERS' MARKET, only sells products directly from farms, creating a new source of safe and organic produce for consumers and providing farmers more opportunities to earn income. The markets reach more than 6,000 households nationwide with the help of GrabMart, which makes products easily accessible to shoppers ordering from home."

With the expansion of Grab Thai Fresh Market, customers can order products from more Central Retails brands including Tops market, Tops SUPERSTORE, Tops daily, Central Food Hall, FamilyMart and Jing Jai FARMERS' MARKET Bangna flagship store through GrabMart, covering 952 branches in 37 provinces.

Ms. Parita Pattamarungson, Assistant Director O2O commercial, Lotus's said,: "We have supported farmers throughout Thailand through our direct sourcing program. By providing distribution channels through our network of more than 2,100 stores nationwide, we help farmers to earn a fair and sustainable income. In addition to providing sales channels, we also place great importance on helping local farmers achieve sustainable growth by elevating their skillsets in other aspects including safety and quality standards, branding and marketing, as well as accounting and finance. Our partnership with Grab will be a great enhancement to our existing program, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic."

The 'Thai Fresh Market Phase 2' now has more than 800 participating local farmers and merchants from 15 provinces nationwide, including Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Sawan, and Phuket. The four product categories added to Phase 2 are seafood, meat, vegetables, and fruit which can be ordered from the GrabMart service on the Grab application. Consumers will receive their orders within 25 minutes.

To boost sales for farmers and micro-entrepreneurs, Grab is offering discounts for up to 40% for new users with the minimum order amount of 200 baht, consumers can use the 'FARM' promo code. For existing customers, Grab is offering a 180 baht discount with the minimum order amount of 650 baht, consumers can use the 'FRESH180' promo code from today to 22 August 2021.

About Grab
Grab is the leading superapp platform in Southeast Asia, providing everyday services that matter to consumers. Today, the Grab app has been downloaded onto millions of mobile devices, giving users access to over nine million drivers, merchants, and agents. Grab offers a wide range of on-demand services in the region, including mobility, food, package and grocery delivery services, mobile payments, and financial services across 428 cities in eight countries. For more information, see: http://www.grab.com