Does RedMart require any introduction? Well, I think no, for most Singaporeans, but for the benefit of non-Singaporean readers, allow me to briefly introduce Singapore’s leading online supermarket.
Established in 2011, RedMart is a pioneering E-Commerce name in Singapore, one of the brands that popularised online grocery shopping in the last decade too. Since late 2016, RedMart has also been part of the massive Lazada Group, which is in turn, majority-owned by Alibaba Group Holding Limited.
Notably, all RedMart sales and operations were moved to the Lazada platform in March 2019, with the brand now one of the main “categories” on Lazada’s landing page. For some Singaporean grocery buyers, I suppose both brands are now synonymous or even interchangeable.
Oct 2023 was also RedMart’s 12th anniversary and if you’re already buying from them, or have been searching online for great deals, you’d know that they celebrated with one whole month of incredible deals, discounts, and enhanced cashbacks. (Their next celebration, 11.11, is around the corner, btw) In the midst of this celebration, I had the pleasure of touring their 353,000 square feet West Fulfilment Centre (WFC) at Jalan Buroh, a tour that lasted over an hour and was nothing short of an astonishing eye-opener.
Why was it astonishing? Well …
- I felt like I walked a mile after the tour. The WFC is that large.
- Visiting the cold zones was like a brief Scandinavian tour! These are entire zones the size of football fields maintained at near or below zero degrees Celsius. I’m glad I didn’t forget to bring a jacket.
- The variety and amount of goods stored in this fulfillment centre are simply unbelievable. Not exaggerating, there just might be enough food here to feed Singapore for a week, or longer.
A lot of information and numbers were presented during the tour, which I wouldn’t bother you with since they are already published online. (Read: I was too bedazzled and didn’t pay enough attention) What I want to share is, instead, that I kept hearing the word “check” throughout the tour.
RedMart uses a mix of high-tech automation and human manpower to fulfil orders. Other than a movement-efficient pick-up system with computerised assistance, several stations are devoted to the checking of orders to minimise wrong deliveries. Actually, I’m of the impression that there’s some degree of checking at every stop point.
There is also a concerted effort to keep produce fresh throughout delivery—you know if you’ve ever ordered from them and received your purchases in an insulated bag. These bags come with nifty cooling mediums. As part of the brand’s efforts toward sustainability, these cooling mediums can be returned during the next delivery, after which they would be thoroughly cleaned and treated for reuse.
I’ve never ordered fresh produce or items that require chilling from RedMart. Now that I’ve seen how such orders are handled, I just might start buying these.
An International Grocer With Over 100,000 Products From Around the World
The figure quoted in a Today write-up in 2021 was 120,000, with 25 percent being fresh and frozen products. Based on what I’ve seen during the tour, I’m inclined to believe RedMart has maintained or even increased the figure.
What’s noteworthy is also this—and I admit I’m suaku by not knowing beforehand. RedMart carries goods from all around the world, including from major retailers like Sainsbury’s, Lotte, the Musgrave Group, and Woolworths. They also have several hundred private labels as well as their own house brand.
In other words, if you want to fill your pantry with goodies from all over the world, if you’re planning a world cuisine party, or likewise, RedMart can get what you need delivered to your doorsteps.
By the way, Lazada/RedMart has a pretty attractive affiliate programme. I’ve already signed up but I’m not going to splash the rest of this write-up with affiliate links. Instead, I strongly encourage you to check out RedMart’s online selection and discover for yourself the amazing variety of food they sell.
Sign up now and you might make a handsome income from the upcoming 11.11 big sale!
The next “big” event for RedMart is, of course, the annual 11.11 sale. Don’t miss out on all the great offers that has already started!
