Grab: Enriching lives with Southeast Asia’s superapp

Grab is one of the most frequently used offline-to- online (O2O) mobile platforms in Southeast Asia today, providing the everyday services that matter most to consumers. These include everything from safe and affordable transport, food, grocery and package delivery to mobile payments and financial services. 

With one app, the company is enabling over 100 million users and over 6 million drivers, agents, and merchants to access the benefits of the digital economy. Grab currently offers services in Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia.

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In a very diverse Southeast Asia, Grab’s hyperlocal approach has proven very successful. Beyond ride-hailing, its impressive portfolio now includes mobile payments, wider financial services, as well as food delivery.

Reuben Lai, Co-head of Grab Financial, shares, “6 years ago, we began by understanding the needs of people in Kuala Lumpur and solving one of their biggest pain points – finding safe, convenient and affordable point-to-point commutes. 

As we expanded into other countries, it was clear technology companies cannot rely on a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach when it comes to understanding customers and building products that can solve real problems for them.

Being hyperlocal also means working with local partners that know and understand consumers intimately. Our biggest differentiator is the open approach we take to building Southeast Asia’s everyday app.” 

“Today, we are starting to make our app more personal and embedded in the daily needs of every customer. Some of the new features we have rolled out for customers who live and travel across Southeast Asia are:

• GrabFood, our food and delivery platform, currently offers you restaurant options based on your location. As our algorithms pick up more data and insights, we will start to tailor recommendations and even specific discounts to user preferences and spending patterns.

• GrabFresh, an on-demand grocery delivery service for customers to enjoy grocery shopping from the comforts of home. GrabExpress drivers and delivery partners can send the groceries to their doorsteps within an hour, or at a pre-arranged and convenient time.

• GrabDaily, our personalized feed, is tailored those celebrating Ramadan (prayer times, distance to mosques, etc.), and increasingly will tailor intimately to our user’s daily needs.

• Our transport platforms are going multi-modal. We offer our customers a wide range of transport options to support them from first-to-last mile in the way they want. As our algorithms learn, we can recommend them the cheapest or fastest way to travel or a mix of transport options in between.

We’ll continue to make our app a richer and better experience for millions of people in Southeast Asia and those who travel across it.”

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