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RedMart launches on-demand marketplace service for everything

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Goods – anything from hot meals to electronics – are expected to be delivered within one hour

The article has been updated to add Roger Egan’s comments to e27 about the status of ‘runners’ for RedMart and him declining to disclose the number of runners and delivery staff.

Singapore-based online grocery service RedMart has launched RedMart Relay, an on-demand marketplace that allows customers to order hot meals, apparel, electronics and other goods and get them delivered within an hour, according to a press release.

Once an order is made, it will be passed on to a runner – a person who will go to one of the “participating stores”, buy the goods and deliver the products right to the customer’s doorstep.

To use RedMart Relay, customers will need to download the app, enter their delivery address or postal codes, and make purchases via the mobile service.

The app will connect them with the runner who is available to pick up the order on behalf of the customer. If the runner fails to bring the goods to the customer within an hour, RedMart will waive the delivery fee.

The service is only available in Tiong Bahru, Telok Blangah, Keppel, Sentosa, West Coast, Tanjong Pagar and Marina Bay for now. The company has plans to launch it nationwide by early 2016.

“The runners are a mix of existing employees and contract delivery staff, [who] are trained by us and only work for RedMart,” said Roger Egan, CEO, RedMart to e27. “The customer cannot tell the difference.”

Egan declined to disclose the number of runners working for RedMart or the size of RedMart’s delivery fleet.

“We aspire to become an Everything Store, delivering just about anything to anyone at any time,” said Egan in a statement.

He added, “We started with groceries because it is the largest market and has the highest customer engagement.

“It also requires the most robust technology and logistics infrastructure due to the operational complexity of the category. By controlling the entire supply chain, from fulfilment through last-mile delivery, we have been able to innovate and create a superior customer experience,” he continued.

RedMart’s flagship product RedMart Marketplace lists 25,000 products sourced from its pool of niche grocers, restaurants and specialty shops.

Also Read: I want to kill cash on delivery: RedMart CPO Jon Sugihara

Typically, customers on RedMart make purchases on the e-commerce store twice every month. With RedMart Relay, the startup is able to increase the number of times customers purchase goods on the website, and deliver a wider range of items.

“It’s a convenience that increasingly time-starved Singaporeans need, and we have the expertise and infrastructure to deliver it,” said Vikram Rupani, Co-founder and President, RedMart.

The four-year-old company has received about US$54 million in funding from Garena; Softbank Ventures; Visionnaire Ventures; Toivo Annus, Co-founder, Skype; Eduardo Saverin, Co-founder, Facebook; Far East Ventures; Golden Gate Ventures; LionRock Capital; and the Northstar Group.

e27 has reached out to RedMart for more details.

The post [Updated] RedMart launches on-demand marketplace service for everything appeared first on e27.