SG Food
& Grocery
Trends 2023
The Expanding Role of the Superapp
Report Methodology

Primary Research Expert Interviews Media Trends Grab Platform

from 6 countries and Industry Sources Analysis Insights

Note:
• Grab surveys conducted online via Grab in app in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, and Vietnam. Data collection was from August 2023.
Total number surveyed across the region: n=6,242, Indonesia n=1,069, Singapore=1,076, Malaysia=1,163, Thailand=1,104, Philippines=1,114, Vietnam=716.
• Grab surveys conducted online by Kantar for Grab in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, and Vietnam. Data collection was from H1 2023.
Total number surveyed across the region: n=45,344 regionally, Indonesia n=16,076, Singapore=4,866, Malaysia=7,180, Thailand=5,901, Philippines=6,309, Vietnam=5,012.
• Qualitative discussions across the region to draw out more nuanced perspectives and insights.
• GrabFood and GrabMart platform insights across January 2019–July 2023.
01
Big thanks to
our partners
for sharing their insights and
case studies for this report

Partners
Logo

02
Contents
01 The Post-Pandemic Effect:
How Consumers are Ordering Differently

02 Top Emerging Sales-Boosting Trends

03 Top Orders that Stole the Spotlight on Grab

04 Top Tips & Tools Every Business Should Know

05 Selling More: How to Get Ahead with GrabAds
01

up
k-
c
Pi
lf

y
Se

er
liv
De

-in
Post-Pandemic

ne
Di
Effect:
How Consumers are Ordering Differently
Been busy? Total YoY% Order Volume Growth1

That’s because
Singaporeans are
ordering more
than before, and
differently too. 2020
Self Pick-up + Dine-in
2021
Deliveries
2022 2023

Deliveries were the way to go during the Self Pick-up and Dine-in's contribution
to Total Order Volume increased
pandemic. But now, consumers are also diving
by 4.5× from 2021 to 2023.
into our non-delivery choices—and it’s made
an impact on volume of orders over the years.

Note: Chart is not drawn to scale

Source:
1. Grab Internal Data, Singapore, July 2019–July 2023
They no longer rely on the
Grab app for deliveries only.
There’s a building appetite
+7.2%
1
for Self Pick-up and Dine-in.

+176% 84%
1

have also used the

Grab app to discover
new restaurants or
stores2

Jun '23 Aug '23 Jun '23 Aug '23

Total Dine-in Orders* MoM Total Self Pick-up Orders MoM

*Dine-in Orders refer to both purchase of Dine-in Vouchers and Scan-to-Orders

Source:
1. Grab Internal Data, Singapore, June–August 2023
2. Grab survey August 2023, n=1,076, active SG Grab users
06
Deliveries or dine-in?
It all depends on the occasion.
While food deliveries are great on a casual, everyday basis,
- i n
consumers are more likely to choose Dine-in on special occasions.
i ne
D
Top 5 occasions Top 5 occasions
to order Delivery1 to Dine-in1
e s
eri
1 Sudden cravings (snacks, supper, etc.) 1 To celebrate a special occasion i v
2 Casual everyday meals 2 Regular catch-up with friends Del
3 Family meals 3 Family meals
4 Lunch with colleagues 4 Lunch with colleagues
5 Regular catch-up with friends 5 Sudden cravings (snacks, supper, etc.)

Source:
1. Grab survey August 2023, n=1,076, active SG Grab users
So who’s buying from who? Did you know:

Understanding who’s buying from you helps you figure out what items they’d like to buy more of. 62%
of GrabMart
shoppers
25–34 is the largest age group of consumers across all merchants1, and these are mostly
are female1?
white collar workers who are single2. Consider expanding your offerings to appeal to them!

Top items ordered

Food Merchant-partners* Mart Merchant-partners

Enterprise Chain restaurants Independent Supermarket Convenience Stores Speciality Grocers

1 Burgers 1 Coconut Drinks 1 Fried Rice 1 Sweet Potato 1 Ice 1 Herbal Teas
2 Ice Cream 2 Prata 2 Prata 2 Banana 2 Tomato 2 Sliced
or Dessert Watermelon
3 Fried Rice 3 Bubble Tea 3 Japanese 3 Beer
3 Hashbrowns Ready-to-Eat 3 Maoshanwang
Meals Durian

*Enterprise merchants are defined to have regional outlets; Chain merchants have more than 1 outlet in a single market; Independent merchants have 1 outlet in a single market.

Source:
1. Grab Internal Data, Singapore, January–July 2023
2. Grab surveys conducted online by Kantar, Singapore, H1'23
08
02
Top Emerging
Sales-Boosting
Trends
Trend #1
Subscriptions
drive multiple 2.6×
spend per month2

(and larger) sales.

In Singapore, 1 out of 2 of Grab's top spenders are
GrabUnlimited subscribers1.

2.6×
GrabUnlimited subscribers spend and order more
than the average user.
delivery frequency
per month2
Turn these top spenders into your loyalists.
Engage with them via the Loyalty Stamp Card or
participate in GrabUnlimited Promo Campaigns.

Source:
1. Grab Internal Data, GrabFood and GrabMart, Singapore, Top spenders by GMV contribution, January–July 2023
2. Grab Internal Data, GrabFood and GrabMart, Singapore, GrabUnlimited subscriber vs Non-subscriber,
January–July 2023
Trend #2
Group Orders 1.7×
have increased difference

by 1.7x in 2023 .
1

People are also spending 1.7× more on Group Orders2.

They commonly take place during lunchtime3 and are
delivered to workplaces4.

2022 2023
Usage of Group Order feature*
Appeal to larger groups with bundled
deals at peak periods like lunchtime!

*Refers to the number of Orders completed through

the “Group Order” product feature

Source:
1. Grab Internal Data, Singapore, Monthly average of Group Order feature, January 2022–July 2023
2. Grab Internal Data, Singapore, Group Order vs Average Order Basket Value, January 2022–July 2023
3. Grab Internal Data, Singapore, January 2022–July 2023
4. Grab Internal Data, Singapore, January–April 2023
“Leveraging on the group
ordering feature has
driven growth for KFC.”
“KFC’s finger lickin’ good meals have been synonymous with family
and social gatherings, be it at home or at work. We recognised the
opportunity to bring people together through group ordering incentives
to drive growth for KFC.

This is one of the examples of leveraging Grab’s platform technology

to reach more eaters, as we’ve gained 11× growth in Group Orders.”

Jessica Heng
Marketing Manager
KFC

12
Trend #3
Delivery apps are now an
important discovery tool.
They are among the top 3 sources of awareness when it
comes to discovering new restaurants and stores1.

Where do
Singaporeans
1 60% Friends/Family
61% also browse the Grab app without
a specific merchant in mind2.
discover new 2 50% Instagram
restaurants To appear higher in search results, pick popular but
3 43% Food delivery app underutilised keywords!
and stores1?
Maximise your Top 3 underutilised keywords in Singapore in 20231
4 38% Google • drinks & beverages
discoverability on
the app to take • local & malaysian
advantage of this. 5 34% Facebook • bubble tea

Source:
1. Grab survey August 2023, n=1,076, active SG Grab users
2. Grab Internal Data, Singapore, January–July 2023
13
“Over 50% of consumers make
a purchase after discovering
our content on the app.”
“At Unilever Ice Cream, we always take full advantage of the consumer insights
from Grab, so we know exactly when and who to serve our content to.

Our research tells us that although 80% of consumers don't start off browsing
for ice creams online—once they see our content on GrabFood or GrabMart,
more than 50% of them are likely to make a purchase.

In addition to that, with the capability to re-engage consumers, we can build

up a group of loyal customers inside the Grab platform.

Grab has provided us with a lot of tools and insights to help us unlock more
business opportunities across GrabFood and GrabMart via media targeting,
promotion optimisation, and CRM tools.”

Vorapol Leelavechbutr (Kidd)

SEA Ice Cream Digital Media
and Commerce Lead
Unilever Ice Cream
Trend #4
Stores with positive ratings and reviews*
see higher conversions.
Aim to hit this 'Magic Number' of positive They also encourage consumers to try new
ratings and reviews to see an uplift in places—including yours.
conversion1:
Top 3 reasons for Singaporeans to try a new
restaurant or menu item for the first time2:
Enterprise All other 1 Good ratings and reviews of the restaurant
merchants: merchants:
2 Able to enjoy available promotions

70 20 3 Variety of menu within the same restaurant

*Positive ratings and reviews are defined as ratings above 4-stars.

Source:
1. Grab Internal Data, Regional, January–July 2023
2. Grab survey August 2023, n=1,076, active SG Grab users
15
Trend #5
Digital platforms
are an integral Consumer digital usage
for dining out or takeaway1

part of the 5% 8% 13% 13% 13%

consumer journey. 52%

95% 92% 87% 87% 87%

When ordering food, consumers depend highly on
their mobile phones—from discovery to ordering 48%
(online or offline), and even making payments.

Review Pre-purchase Reservation Takeaway/ Payment Order

9 out of 10 also said they prefer brands with an voucher Self Pick-up at table

integrated O2O experience, so make sure you Online Offline

establish a strong presence both online and offline.

Source:
1. Grab survey August 2023, n=1,076, active SG Grab users
16
03
Top Orders
that Stole the
Spotlight on Grab
In 2023, Singaporeans still
couldn’t get enough of burgers.
But that’s not all they ate, of course.

Top 10 Orders on GrabFood1 5 Most-Searched Items on GrabFood1

2022 2023 2022 2023

1 Burger 1 Burger 1 Pizza 1 Bubble Tea

2 Coconut Shake 2 Breakfast Wrap 2 Cake 2 Pizza
3 Prata 3 Ice Cream 3 Bubble Tea 3 Cake
4 Ice Cream 4 Prata 4 Dessert 4 Dessert
5 Nuggets 5 Nuggets 5 Porridge 5 Vegetarian
6 Milk Tea 6 Fried Chicken
7 Fried Chicken 7 Coconut Shake
8 Siew Mai 8 Ayam Penyet
9 Tuna Sandwich 9 Mee Siam
10 Mee Siam 10 Fried Rice

Source:
1. Grab Internal Data, Singapore, January 2022–July 2023
“Grab’s integrated end-to-end
ecosystem allows us to stay attuned
to the needs of our customers.”
“Post-COVID, delivery continues to be an important part of our business. Customers have
remained loyal, and having a strong partnership with Grab in Southeast Asia complements
our own delivery services. This allows our customers to enjoy their favourite McDonald’s
menu items at their convenience.

McDonald’s has been able to tap into Grab’s impressive ecosystem, reaching a growing
network of active users. We believe feeding into Grab’s integrated end-to-end ecosystem
allows us to stay attuned to the needs of our customers in Southeast Asia.”

Vicki Fuller
Delivery Lead, International DL Markets
McDonald’s
They also needed to beat the heat.
Herbal tea is now the #1
best-selling item on GrabMart.
Top 10 Orders on GrabMart1 Popular combinations at checkout1
2022 2023
Soft Drinks + Chips & Dips
1 Yoghurt 1 Herbal Tea
Vegetables + Eggs
2 Cooling Water 2 Frozen Yoghurt
3 Covid Test Kit 3 Sweet Potato Juices & Coconut Water + Fruits
4 Sashimi 4 Banana
5 Chrysanthemum Tea 5 Honey Aloe Vera Juice
6 Herbal Tea 6 Takoyaki
7 Milk 7 Ice Cream
8 Beer 8 Sushi
9 Ice Cream 9 Herbal Jelly
10 Eggs 10 Tofu

Source:
1. Grab Internal Data, Singapore, January 2022–July 2023
“GrabMart has transformed our route
to consumer strategy, connecting
HEINEKEN Vietnam with modern
consumers who value convenience.”
“GrabMart has opened a new avenue for us to reach modern consumers with on-demand delivery.
Since launching HEINEKEN Vietnam Official Stores on the platform, our beers have almost instantly
become among the best sellers in the category, with Tiger at #1 and Heineken at #3. Not to mention
our innovative products—including low–alcohol beers, wheat beers, and ciders, are doing
particularly well on GrabMart, making up 70% of our total sales on the platform.

Into the future, we are looking forward to strengthening our partnership

with Grab as we continue to modernise our route to consumers.”

Anna Bizon
Marketing Director
HEINEKEN Vietnam

21
Any guesses what the top eats
were throughout the day?
Breakfast Lunch Tea Time Dinner Supper

Food Food Food Food Food

Pancakes Burger Ice Cream Fried Chicken Burger
Porridge Ayam Penyet Nuggets Mala Hotpot Ice Cream
Egg Prata Egg Fried Rice Chawanmushi Burrito Bowl Dim Sum

Beverages Beverages Beverages Beverages Beverages

Latte Coconut Shake Coconut Shake Carbonated Drinks Carbonated Drinks
Kopi Milk Tea Milk Tea Coke Float Cookie Crumble Drink
Flat White Bubble Milk Tea Earl Grey Milk Tea Caramel Macchiato Dark Chocolate Drink

Singaporeans
Lunch is the most spend the most on
popular time for Dinner—that's when
orders in 2023. orders have the
Be ready highest basket value1.
for the rush! So, make it count!

Source:
1. Grab Internal Data, Singapore, January–July 2023
Singaporeans
go BIG during
GrabFood GrabMart

Popular orders: Popular orders:

Chinese New Year. • Yusheng

• Pencai
• Steamboat sets
• Seafood soup
With many gatherings taking place at home, • Roasted meats
people tend to order bundled meals for groups, • Chinese New Year set meals
(soup, fish, vegetable, rice)
and also stock up on hosting essentials.
• Alcohol (beer and wine)
• Mandarin oranges
• Bak kwa
• Chinese New Year snacks
• Steamboat ingredients
• Hampers & gifts

Be sure to load up on supplies,

and ready your operations for
the Chinese New Year rush!

Source:
1. Grab Internal Data, Singapore, January 2022–July 2023
Mother’s Day is
extra important
GrabFood GrabMart

Orders spike on Mother’s Orders spike on Mother’s Day, and

to Singaporeans. Day itself.

Top items ordered:

continues to stay high for the next 7 days.

Top items ordered:

• Family bundles • Flowers
Sorry, dads. • Seasonal set menus • Travel accessories
• Whole cakes • Alcohol
• Desserts • Bath bombs
Mother’s Day saw a surge in orders. GrabFood • Fruits • Fragrances & perfumes
sales peaked on the day itself, but GrabMart orders
continued to stay high through the next week.

Seasonal menus, and packaged

or bundled menus increase
basket values the most!

Source:
1. Grab Internal Data, Singapore, January 2022–July 2023
04
Top Tips & Tools
Every Business
Should Know
Consumers are more eco-conscious,
and are willing to pay more for it.
Opt-ins for Grab’s Carbon Offset feature* has
almost doubled from 2022 to 20231.

97%
1 in 5 4 in 5
Singaporeans say they are more likely to support
are willing to pay more brands with sustainable
for sustainable brands2 practices2

*Feature requires a top-up of up to S$0.10 for each ride and delivery.

Source:
1. Grab Internal Data, Singapore, January 2022–July 2023
2. Grab survey August 2023, n=1,076, active SG Grab users
Go green to get ahead.
As consumers start to make more eco-conscious choices,
brands who go green will enjoy a competitive advantage.

Here’s what you can do:

Reduce packaging to reduce cost. Get creative! Try removing extra

layers of packaging, or opt for natural materials such as banana leaves.

Pay attention to whether consumers want cutlery or not.

Share more about your brand’s sustainable practices,

e.g. eco-friendly packaging.
“Our partnership has grown beyond
business, it’s helped us achieve real
change for the environment.”
“Partnering with Grab has been a transformative journey for Danone across Southeast Asia. Our collaboration
has spanned the entire spectrum of Danone's brand portfolio, including Specialised Nutrition, Plant-based,
Dairy, and Water categories. Grab has played a crucial role in advancing our Vision and Mission in Southeast
Asia, which focuses on "Bringing Health Through Food To As Many People As Possible”.

Our partnership with Grab goes beyond mere cooperation, it's a synergy of ambition, growth
strategies, innovative business models, joint investments, and unwavering resource support.

Our ‘One Planet. One Health’ vision, that’s deeply intertwined with our
commitment to sustainability, is perfectly exemplified through the AQUA
X Grab recycling program in Indonesia. This partnership is driving real
change in environmental responsibility. Together, we're able to create
more possibilities in achieving our common vision.”

Deborah Chong
Global Ecommerce Director
Danone

28
Add-ons help consumers unlock
promos (and boost sales)!
1 in 4 consumers say that they will switch restaurants if they're unable to hit the minimum spend
to qualify for Promos1. So consider offering add-ons at checkout to avoid abandoned carts.

Minimum spend for

The sweet spot: GrabUnlimited free delivery Need ideas for add-ons?
Add-ons priced (S$15)
S$42 Drink or side add-on
Here are the top items consumers tend
to order together2:

Soup + Rice or Dough Fritters

Fried Chicken + Ice Cream
Average meal spend
(S$11) Burgers + Fries or Hash Brown

Source:
1. Grab survey July 2022, n=1,183 active SG Grab users
2. Grab Internal Data, Singapore, January–July 2023
29
Many complete Coca-Cola leveraged on this trend by collaborating with Pizza
Hut, McDonald’s, and KFC to offer combo deals, which bundled

their orders their beverages with meals on GrabFood.

This campaign on Grab included GrabAds advertising, and a

with a drink co-marketing campaign.

or dessert at
checkout.

Banner ad Co-marketing campaign Bundled deals

30
“Our research tells us that
consumers think about a
meal as being a main,
side, and beverage.”
“At Coca-Cola, we aim to be the most accessible brand in every shopping
environment by connecting the shopping experience from inspiration through
to consumption. To achieve this, we have to create amazing experiences that
meet the needs of consumers across the globe.

Partnering with Grab and working closely with our restaurant partners allows
us to build meals and combo deals that meet the needs of consumers across
ASEAN, while providing them with a simple and convenient way to shop.”

Mick Drew
Digital Commerce Director
Digital Acceleration Office
Coca-Cola

31
More ratings. Restaurants and stores with higher positive ratings and reviews
tend to have better conversion rates.

More reviews. Encourage people to drop you a positive rating and review by:

More business. 01 02
Directly addressing Adding a note with
order issues with the order
consumers Request for a review (make
(in real-time) it part of your packaging, or
Tip: 1-star ratings can be add this to the back of your
reduced by 8× when you receipt)—and give them a
chat with your consumers. reason to do so. Let them
know how reviews can help
improve your presence online.
03
Banking on your
online community
Received positive reviews?
Share them on your social
media pages for greater
impression. This also helps
encourage others to leave
a review after trying your
brand too.

You can now even link your social media profile with your GrabFood or
GrabMart profile, and create promotional content or visual ads via Grab
to share on social media.

32
Completed store profiles
drive more business.
The conversion rate increases by ~14% when
merchant-partners achieve a Profile Strength
Score of more than 701.
Add photos
To attract more consumers, spend some for all items
time to whip your menu into shape! Higher appeal
+
= for improved
Provide Update search results
clear item opening
descriptions hours

Source:
1. Grab Internal Data, Regional, 2023; Click-through Rate based on Merchant Profile Strength Scores
33
Singaporeans
are still hungry, Try boosting traffic to your store during off-peak hours by:

even during 1
2
Offering tea time promotions through food deliveries
Driving traffic to your store with Dine-in deals

off-peak hours
from 3pm to 6pm. Did you know?
You can set up your store to reflect
Off-peak hours see different menu items and prices for
delivery, self pick-up, or dine-in. It’s in

73%
the largest volume of
the service-based menu feature on Grab.
orders happening,
after lunch and By doing so, you can either offer lower prices for
of Singaporeans what provides you with better margins, or even offer
dinner timings1. also said they are a completely different menu for each service type!
likely to snack
during this time2

Source:
1. Grab Internal Data, Singapore, January–July 2023
2. Grab survey August 2023, n=1,076, active SG Grab users
34
Now, even more tools 01 Menu translation
• Auto translation for menus is now available.

and features on the

Appeal to tourists with an English menu!
• Review translations within the Menu tab in-app,
and update any incorrect translations.

GrabMerchant app. 02 Smart Busy Mode

• Too busy during rush hour? Turn on “Busy” mode
Have you tried them all? automatically, so you have more time to prep orders.
The assigned driver-partner will arrive just in time, and
consumers will get more accurate delivery timings.

03 Self-serve enhanced menu editing

• Edit items or update stock availability for a single
store within the Grab app, or bulk edit via the portal.
• You can even set scheduled hours for items to make
them available only at certain times of the day.

35
05 219

Selling More:
How to Get Ahead
with GrabAds
Reach millions of eaters (online & offline)
across Southeast Asia with GrabAds.

Push for Earn new Run with real Get powerful Deliver a one-of-a
real world consumers, data on yet simple -kind omnichannel
sales seamlessly real eaters solutions, 24/7 experience
Drive engagement and 91% of surveyed Grab First-party insights based Build entire campaigns Entice consumers to
action at all stages of users got to know of a on millions of in-app with GrabAds Marketing try your new products!
the funnel to build brand new store through delivery transactions can help you Manager, accessible via Grab’s network of
awareness, boost traffic, apps1. Consumers also reach loyal or lapsed the GrabMerchant app merchant retailers and
generate sales (in-app spend approx. 17 minutes consumers, fast food fans, or website. riders can get samples
or in-store), and more. browsing the Grab app food-curious newbies, in consumers’ hands
before making a purchase2. and more—cookie-free. within minutes.

Did you know?

2 in 3 engaged consumers
Source: make at least 1 purchase
1. Grab survey August 2023, n=6,242, active Grab users regionally
2. Grab's internal data: 2021–2022 within the month3.
3. Grab’s internal data: 2023; derived by average MAU and MEU
37
Case Study
Utilising the power of retail media network to
blend branding and performance marketing.
Lotteria Vietnam worked with GrabAds to run a full-funnel campaign with
the twin goals of raising awareness and gaining new users.
9.3×
ROAS

8000
New users

Masthead Native Video Ad Food Feed In-Transit Ad

Note:
ROAS = Return on ad spend
Case Study Ad Formats

Maximising 10% 24.36×

awareness and Ad Recall ROAS

sales for any

seasonal menu
launch.
McDonald’s Philippines partnered with
GrabAds to launch their new Christmas
Automatic Native Image
menu with a full-funnel ad strategy— Placements and Banner Ads

targeting every stage of the consumer

journey.

Note:
ROAS = Return on ad spend
Case Study
Beverage
bundling 4.8×
Item Order
ROAS

as a sales
channel.
During FIFA World Cup
2022, Coca-Cola launched
#CokeComboDeals on
GrabFood to entice hungry
match viewers who were
Masthead Native Image Ad Food Feed
glued to their screens.

Note:
ROAS = Return on ad spend
Case Study
Translating marketing spend 38% 4.16×
to results by going omnichannel.
Ad + Sample Recall ROAS

Dutch Lady Vietnam partnered with GrabAds to reinforce their “Nutritious breakfast everyday” message through
OneGrab omnichannel solutions, consisting of fleet advertising, sampling, and in-app comms for full funnel results.

Food Feed Pop-up Social Media Fleet Advertising

and Sampling
Note:
ROAS = Return on ad spend
Grab is a leading superapp in Southeast Asia,
providing everyday services such as mobility,
deliveries, and digital financial services to
millions of Southeast Asians.
Category Leader
across deliveries & mobility
Not yet a
Present in
8 countries
Today,
1 in 20 people GrabAds partner?
and over in Southeast Asia eat,
Get in touch here:
500 cities ride, or pay via Grab
in Southeast Asia every month2 grabads@grab.com

Source:
1. Based on Euromonitor’s independent analysis, Grab continued to be the
category leader in 2022 by GMV in food deliveries and mobility.
2. Grab Internal Data, 2022