GEORGE TOWN: Grab Malaysia is continuing its efforts to further support small and independent businesses in more cities nationwide, with the introduction of "Food Courts by GrabFood".
It will initially be introduced in the Klang Valley, Penang, Johor Baru, Kota Kinabalu, Melaka and Ipoh.
The ride-hailing transport services and online food delivery company is also expanding its "Pasar by GrabMart" to include more markets from Penang and Kota Kinabalu, which will be available early next month.
In the first month that pasar was launched in Pasar TTDI, participating vendors saw an average of 20 per cent increase in daily orders.
In addition, Penang users can now find additional markets on GrabMart, namely, Pasar Batu Lanchang and Pasar Bayan Baru, with Pasar Seberang Jaya and Pasar Bagan Ajam to be available by early October.
Leveraging on Grab's 'mix & match' feature, which was developed during the Movement Control Order (MCO) to generate further demand for businesses while driving affordability for users, the food courts option will also allow GrabFood users to order from multiple stalls from their favourite food court with one delivery fee.
The 'mix & match' feature was initially piloted with pasar and 'Grab e-Kitchen Bazar' initiatives, which saw more than 66,000 orders fulfilled by 133 vendors during the Ramadan season.
Grab Malaysia managing director Sean Goh said with the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) extended until the end of the year, it was even more vital for organisations in the public and private sector to assist those grappling to get back on their feet.
"Traditional food courts and markets are a huge part of our society that makes us uniquely Malaysian. Although movement restrictions have eased, many have seen a great loss in footfall, impacting their income and livelihoods.
"This is why we are focusing our efforts in creating an inclusive platform traditional businesses can conveniently tap onto to increase their sales in the new normal.
"With a reliable delivery fleet and large community of users nationwide, we hope to play a part in helping to preserve a culture of Malaysia that is close to all our hearts," he said.
Beyond helping traditional businesses expand their customer base by reaching more Malaysians on the app, Goh said, these initiatives also provided the greater public an affordable option to daily necessities.
"Moving forward, we will continue to look at further opportunities to innovate our ecosystem of services to continue supporting all Malaysians, from the various types of businesses looking for an opportunity to grow, to our customers through technology enabled convenience." he added.