habitat by honestbee – first smart supermarket and F&B concept for the future in Singapore

alvinology

Updated 16 October 2018 at 5:09 pm

Foodies alert! You have to check out this smart supermarket and F&B concept for the future, launched by honestbee. habitat by honestbee is the world’s first tech-enabled, multi-sensory grocery and dining experience and it’s open to the public now in Singapore! Are you ready for the ‘NewGen Retail’ experience?

Covering 60,000 sq ft of retail space, habitat offers over 20,000 products and 15 brand new F&B concepts, on top of featuring the world’s first cashless, automated checkout (AutoCheckout) experience and robotic collection point (RoboCollect). Watch our video for a preview of the premise:

Fully integrated online and offline experience

Powered by honestbee’s technology, habitat by honestbee offers two firsts in the world: a cashless checkout experience (AutoCheckout) and fully automated, robotic collection point (RoboCollect).

With the honestbee app, customers can enter the space and through beePay, honestbee’s digital wallet, make secure, cashless transactions throughout the store for both offline and online transactions.

For purchases of 10 items or less, shoppers can use the “Scan & Go” function on the honestbee app, so they can skip the checkout line and get their items on the spot. For more items, shoppers can drop off their trolleys at the world’s first convenient AutoCheckout and habitat will take care of the scanning and packing.

Bags will be ready for collection at the RoboCollect Stations. Orders can be processed between checkout and collection in as fast as 5 minutes, so shoppers will have more time to enjoy habitat by honestbee as a multi-sensory community. We tried it at the media preview and it worked seamlessly.

Additionally, shoppers can order from habitat’s F&B concepts for dine-in, take-away as well as home delivery. Online grocery orders are fulfilled by shopper bees using overhead conveyor belts for greater productivity before driver bees pick them up for one hour time belt deliveries within the day.

“We are excited to bring this ‘NewGen Retail’ concept from Singapore to our current eight markets and beyond in the near future. Guided by our passion for food and technology, we will continue to innovate in solutions to enhance the quality of our products and experiences, bringing value to our partners and customers. We invite progressive partners to come along with this in this journey!” said Joel Sng, CEO & Founder of honestbee.

Multi-sensory grocery and dining concept

habitat by honestbee is a full supermarket with over 20,000 Asian and global products, fresh fruits and vegetables, seafood, meats and daily essentials which can be purchased both online and offline in an exceptional environment.

Available for customers to dine in or take-away, there are also 15 unique F&B concepts — from fresh grain bowls, grilled meats straight from the butchery to Japanese soufflé pancakes and homemade kombuchas.

That’s not all, the following concepts are also in the pipeline: A by-invitation-only private dining space that takes your experience at habitat by honestbee to a whole other level, an oyster bar, a hidden bar as well as an entire section devoted to charcuterie and cheese.

Although habitat by honestbee is powered by technology, honestbee’s staff (affectionately named as “concierge bees”) are available to answer any questions, adding to the overall immersive experience. This is complemented by food workshops, masterclasses and hands-on experiences with the products on-site.

Growth opportunity for marketplace and F&B partners

habitat by honestbee seeks to make it convenient and inexpensive for entrepreneurs and F&B partners from Singapore and the international markets to establish or expand their presence online and offline. honestbee’s ecosystem seeks to support potential partners and entrepreneurs by allowing them to focus on delivering a quality dining and shopping experiences.

As an example, habitat by honestbee has partnered with Michelin-mentioned Tokyo pancake cafe, Riz Labo Kitchen to bring Singaporeans the popular dessert trend of wobbly Japanese pancakes. Another highlight is local favourite Char, known for their delectable local roast char siew and meats. Other progressive partners include Prime Supermarket, Mahota speciality grocer, Indoguna, Bear Bear Fresh and FarEastFlora.com.

“habitat by honestbee is a beautiful, physical extension of the honestbee brand we all love. With its launch, we now provide tech-enabled convenience, value and quality through food in both the online and offline experience. It is a unique combination of a full supermarket, speciality grocer, dining and interactive lifestyle destination. In this innovative space, one can expect a multi-sensorial food experience that nourishes, educates and inspires. We designed it so that customers can get their groceries and meals efficiently but also linger and enjoy the experience. ” shared Pauline Png, VP & Managing Director, habitat by honestbee.

Festival of Fresh – Celebrating the 5 senses of fresh

To celebrate the launch of habitat by honestbee, customers can look forward to the ‘Festival of Fresh’ which will begin from 18 October to 11 November 2018. The festival invites both young and old to ignite their five senses through pasta and bread making, tasting of seasonal produce and products, coffee appreciation. Look forward to more cool and family friendly weekend activities held on 20 and 21 October and 27 and 28 October.

Be entertained by local acts such as up and coming vocalist Joie Tan and New Orleans style brass band, New Stream Brass Band. Kids can look forward to veggie paint-and-draw by OIC, balloon sculpting and face-painting activities while adults can indulge in food styling workshops, scent creation, coffee painting sessions and hands-on bread shaping.