Lazada to integrate RedMart into its platform

Lazada will be integrating RedMart products into its platform on 15 March 2019, as part of its efforts to ramp up its supermarket business in Southeast Asia. This comes as Lazada looks to accelerate its growth to become the region’s “biggest eCommerce ecosystem”.The new RedMart will feature similar design, tools and functions as the existing RedMart app and website. In a press statement, RedMart said that users can expect the same shopping experience – from browsing to the ordering process. This includes having the option of completing transactions from other Lazada stores at one go and having more payment options such as the Lazada Wallet.Spearheading Lazada’s foray into the supermarket business in Southeast Asia is RedMart co-founder Roger Egan, who has been appointed Lazada Group head of supermarket. As part of his regional role, Egan will oversee the expansion, launch and operations for Lazada’s supermarket business and delivery network across the region.RedMart was acquired by Lazada in 2016, but operated on separate platforms. With this move, shoppers will be able to buy groceries and fresh produce along with Lazada’s other product categories on one single platform. Lazada looks to bolster its grocery and supermarket offering to more than 165,000 products.Meanwhile, in the other parts of the region, Lazada is looking to launch its grocery and supermarket business in one other city from the second half of 2019. The new moves are aimed at catering to the soaring demand of supermarket shopping as consumers increasingly buy their groceries online. According to Lazada, the grocery market in Southeast Asia is expected to be worth US$309 billion by 2021, with shoppers filling online baskets more than twice a month. In Singapore, seven in 10 people buy groceries online on RedMart.Jing Yin, co-president of Lazada Group said that Lazada’s new grocery push signifies its ambitions to unlock the potential in the online grocery shopping. He added that the team wants to drive the evolution of grocery shopping in the region by combining its assortment of products and logistics network to transform the way customers get their daily essentials and fresh produce.“Most of us shop for groceries and other household items very frequently. This presents a unique opportunity for Lazada to be part of our daily lives,” he said.“This is a significant milestone for us. Together with RedMart, we have the best talents, operational infrastructure and an even bigger base of committed sellers and brands to create the best supermarket shopping experience for Singapore shoppers,” James Chang, CEO of Lazada Singapore, said.