GrabFood now 24/7 in Metro Manila and Cebu
THE ONLINE food delivery platform of ride-hailing app Grab has announced 24/7 operations in select cities in the Philippines in a bid to serve the demands of the company’s growing segment.
“Since the end of March to where we are currently right now, [we haven’t] formally announced our 24/7 services [but] the number of orders that happened between midnight and 5 a.m. has increased 13 times,” Edward Joseph dela Vega, GrabFood country head, said during the launch on Aug. 1 at the Grab offices in Makati City.
Mr. Dela Vega said that their 24/7 operations cover “over 1,000 registered restaurants in Metro Manila and Cebu,” including McDonald’s and Pizza Hut.
The 24/7 service, he said is targeted towards people with a “non-9 to 5 lifestyles” like employees of the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry.
GrabFood, Mr. Dela Vega said is the company’s fastest-growing segment, with orders having grown 44 times in 2019. The service currently serves 8,000 restaurants and branches in 20 locations around the country.
Aside from its core ride-hailing and food delivery services, Grab also provides digital wallet services via GrabPay, delivery service via Grab Express, mobile phone loading, and hotel booking services.
To aid in the extended hours of service, he said that they are “actively activating or bringing people online to the platform, but only as necessary.”
“It’s not about having the biggest fleet or the biggest number of delivery partners, it’s more about having the correct number of delivery partners… we don’t want to dilute too much of the demand or supply,” Mr. Dela Vega explained.
But those ordering during the wee hours of the day may find increased delivery fees to “help keep delivery partners during those times.”
“[We’re] focused on reliability [so] if and when we have different delivery fees, it’s really more to make sure that the system is reliable,” he said.
Aside from the 24/7 service, Mr. Dela Vega said they are planning to integrate their digital wallet as a mode of payment for food delivery services as currently the only mode of payment accepted is cash. — Zsarlene B. Chua
