Grab To Invest Deeper Into Food Services

Recently, Southeast Asian ride-hailing firm Grab is announced in a piece of technology news that it is setting up more kitchen facilities.

The setup is for merchants, and it will be improving new services such as procurement and analytics. It is for the firm to bid and push deeper into the fast-growing food delivery industry.

Grab is the region’s most valuable startup. It has earmarked food delivery as the most important pillar for growth.

Moreover, it develops beyond its taxi-hailing roots into other areas, comprising financial services.

The company is also banking on the comparatively low penetration of prevailing food delivery firms in Southeast Asia. It is by using an existing network of riders and drivers to build up its service for some new modern technology advances.

Last year, Grab’s food delivery company observed 5.2 times growth in gross merchandise value. It has also practically tripled its number of active users.

In a news report, the regional head of GrabFood, Lim Kell Jay, stated, “We are very much in the investment stage with food, and we will continue to grow that. We do believe that ultimately food will help improve our profitability in the long run.”

He spoke as Grab showed off its first so-dubbed cloud kitchen in Singapore. The kitchen also has takeaway and dine-in options.

The launch has taken the overall number of such kitchens controlled by the firm to 50 in the region.

However, Grab did not provide an objective, but it has indicated that it would resume on expanding its network of kitchens mainly used for delivery.

The firm’s regional rival Go-Jek has also been checking out cloud kitchens in Indonesia.

Grab Philippines To Restore Motorcycle Taxi Service

Elsewhere, Grab Philippines pursues to revive its motorcycle service known as Grab Bike.

The rebuilding is to improve and provide “affordable and agile transport solutions” to travelers.

In a statement last Tuesday, the company said it had proposed a letter of intent to the government’s interagency technical working group (TWG).

On December 9 of last year, the letter was mailed.

“In light of the latest conversations around motorcycle taxis in the Philippines, Grab would like to restate its interest in participating in the motorcycle taxi space,” it said.

Moreover, “It is to help provide affordable and agile transport solutions to hundreds of thousands of Filipino commuters.”

Meanwhile, Grab Philippines notes that it will be conducting Grab Bike in the country until the middle of 2016.

The company added, “when the service discontinued in compliance with the government regulations.”