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• FireIce

  28 Jul 17, 14:15

  Amazon launches Prime Now services in Singapore

  Amazon launched its express, same-day delivery services, Prime Now, on Thursday in Singapore, making it the e-commerce giant's first foray into the Southeast Asian market.

  Prime Now will allow Singapore users to place orders for fast delivery on a variety of items, including beer, beverages, milk, eggs, fresh produce, dried goods, consumer electronics, toys and baby products.

  The app was made available for download on Wednesday night in Singapore, both on Google's Play store and Apple's App store. Prime Now is part of Amazon's Prime membership service and was launched in December 2014 in New York. To-date, the service is available in more than 50 cities in nine countries, including Berlin, London, Madrid, Rome and Tokyo.

  "What's brewing is a war, a massive face-off between Alibaba and Amazon."-Ken Mandel, President for innovation and commerce in Asia Pacific at Publicis Media

  There are several delivery options given: For orders below 40 Singapore dollars ($29.48), users pay a S$5.99 delivery fee; orders above S$40 are delivered free in a two-hour delivery window. For those wanting to get their goods within an hour, they pony up S$9.99 per order.

  "Prime Now is Amazon's fastest delivery method yet," Henry Low, director of Prime Now for Asia Pacific at Amazon, told CNBC. "What we've done is we have looked at what our Singapore consumers love to have ... (and) we've worked with hundreds of local vendors and made (them) available."

  Though Prime Now is a service that is available only to Prime members, Low said Amazon was making this available to non-members in Singapore for a limited period of time, letting customers try the service for free. He also said that the company was working to launch the Amazon Prime membership service soon in Singapore, but he declined to specify a timeline.

  

  Saheli Roy Choudhury | CNBC

  Amazon's urban fulfillment center in Singapore, where the tech giant rolled out its Prime Now express delivery service in the city-state on Thursday, July 27, 2017.

  Setting up for a showdown

  Amazon's entry into Southeast Asia had been heavily anticipated since it was first reported last year. Analysts said Singapore's relative affluence and westernization, as well as good infrastructure, made the country a prime candidate for Amazon's expansion.

  "The primary reason Amazon picked Singapore as its first market in Southeast Asia is due to the fact that consumers here are more westernized and affluent, and many of them are already shopping overseas," Xiaofeng Wang, a senior analyst at market research company Forrester, said in a statement.

  The foray into Singapore sets up the stage for a potential showdown between Amazon and Chinese tech rival Alibaba, which recently took a controlling stake in regional e-commerce company Lazada. The investment opened up Alibaba's global footprint in markets like Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam and made it accessible to approximately 23 million active buyers on the Lazada platform.Last year, Lazada bought Singapore-based online grocer RedMart for an undisclosed sum. RedMart provides online grocery shopping to customers in Singapore, from fresh produce to frozen foods within two-hour delivery windows — a direct competition to the Prime Now service in the city-state.

  More recently, it was reported that Alibaba was also considering a possible stake in Indonesian e-commerce player Tokopedia.

  "What's brewing is a war, a massive face-off between Alibaba and Amazon," Ken Mandel, president for innovation and commerce in Asia Pacific at Publicis Media told CNBC. "Because Alibaba owns Lazada, they are going to certainly be a force to be reckoned with."

  "The main thing to watch here is this sort of war where they're testing all their new weapons against each other, and they can hone those."-Mike Booker, Partner at Bain & Company, on Amazon facing off against Alibaba through Lazada

  Earlier this month, CNBC spoke to Lazada co-founder Aimone Ripa di Meana who said the company was confident about taking on Amazon's eventual expansion into Southeast Asia. According to Meana, Lazada's advantages include on-the-ground knowledge about each of the six regional markets in which it operates, an extensive logistics network and backing from Jack Ma.

  To be sure, analysts point out that Amazon also has its strengths. Forrester's Wang said a crucial advantage for Amazon is "in the strength of U.S. products/brands and (electronic) books, etc." She added that Amazon Prime is also an "attractive loyalty program that has worked in the U.S., but how it localizes to meet the needs of customers here will be the key to success."

  Localization is often a topic analysts and experts bring up when talking about global companies succeeding in Southeast Asia's hugely diverse local markets. Amazon's Prime Now directors in Singapore, Low and also Aarif Nakhooda, are natives to the city-state.

  

  Saheli Roy Choudhury | CNBC

  A lucrative $200 billion market

  Southeast Asia is a lucrative market for e-commerce as millions of first-generation internet users are starting to embrace online shopping. A frequently cited study from Google and Singapore investment firm Temasek Holdings predicted the region's internet economy to grow to $200 billion by 2025, driven mostly from growth in e-commerce.

  Its proximity to China, which has already become a leading market for e-commerce, also makes the region Alibaba's "backyard," according to Forrester Senior Forecast Analyst Satish Meena.

  "[Alibaba wants] to be the major player in this market, beating Amazon. When it comes to a direct battle between these two, Alibaba doesn't have many countries left where they can actually take a lead," Meena told CNBC, adding that those markets are still at a relatively early stage of development for e-commerce.

  Among markets outside the United States and China, Meena explained that Amazon already had a sizable presence in Europe and was also doing well in the Indian market. Indeed, local media reported earlier this month that Amazon had invested more than $2 billion to-date in their India operations.

  But Meena said it is unlikely that Amazon will invest as aggressively in Southeast Asia as it has done in India. Instead, they are likely to test the waters in one or two markets to grow the business and and gain customers.

  "They will take their time, increasingly grow their investment in logistics, warehousing and everything. So that they can gain the customers and gain them for a long time," he said.

  

  Saheli Roy Choudhury | CNBC

  Amazon's Low said the company isn't thinking about what its competitors are doing. Instead, its focus is on the consumers, he said.

  "We look at what customers and consumers would like to have, and then from there on we would develop and invent systems and products which will solve customer problems. In the Prime Now case, it's really the convenience angle they were trying to solve," he said.

  Low declined to say what Amazon's next market could be in the region.

  The real winner

  In the end, analysts agree that the biggest beneficiary from the Amazon and Alibaba rivalry will be the consumers.

  "The first thing people need to realize is that this is one of the first markets that Amazon and Alibaba are going to go head-to-head ... it's going to be a win-win for the consumers in Singapore," Mike Booker, a partner at Bain & Company, told CNBC's "Capital Connection" on Thursday.

  He said that the headroom for the e-commerce market in Singapore is huge as online commerce comprises only a small percentage of overall retail in the city-state. While the consumers are going to win, Booker said some of the incumbent offline retailers could lose as a result of the showdown.

  Booker added that this is an opportunity for Amazon to test its wares against an Alibaba company: "The main thing to watch here is this sort of war where they're testing all their new weapons against each other, and they can hone those," he said.

   

  CNBC

• FireIce

  1 Aug 17, 11:34

  Amazon Prime Now FAQ: Everything you need to know about the delivery service

  When an 800-pound gorilla enters the arena

  So, the talk of the town (well, at least the town I hang out in) is the launch of Amazon Prime Now in Singapore. Despite all the news reports out there (here’s ours), many people are still confused about what it is.

  Which means… it’s FAQ time!

   

  1.) What is Amazon Prime Now?

  Amazon sells stuff. Prime Now is a same-day delivery service that the company offers when you buy stuff from its Prime Now catalog.

   

  2.) How do I buy from Prime Now?

  You need to use the Prime Now mobile app. Both iOS and Android versions are available.

  You can’t order through a webpage. If you go to the Amazon Singapore website, you will end up at the Prime Now intro page.

  The fact that there’s a www.amazon.com.sg suggests that Prime isn’t far away.

   

  3.) Huh? What’s Prime?

  Amazon Prime is Amazon’s paid membership program. In the U.S., it costs US$99 a year, and members get benefits such as free 2-day shipping, access to popular movies and TV shows, on-demand music streaming, access to thousands of e-books, unlimited photo storage, and more.

  To be specific, Amazon has many shipping perks for Prime members in the U.S., in addition to the aforementioned free 2-day shipping. In thousands of cities and towns, there’s an option for free same-day delivery. And finally, in about 30 cities, it offers free 2-hour delivery on daily essentials and groceries. This last bit is called Prime Now, and was what Amazon launched in Singapore yesterday, July 27.

  In short, Amazon has:

  • launched a native e-shopping platform in Singapore,
  • launched its most advanced delivery service for this platform,
  • all before offering its membership program here.

   

  

   

  4.) So Prime Now is free?

  Yes. Prime Now is free to use at the moment without a Prime membership.

  Going by that logic, it will become “not free” when Prime launches in Singapore. Remember, Prime Now is supposed to be an exclusive benefit for Prime members.

   

  5.) Will Amazon Prime come to Singapore?

  An Amazon spokesperson told me that Amazon Prime will come to Singapore soon, but stopped short of revealing in what shape or form.

  Many people want Amazon to launch its Prime membership here for one reason: the ability to buy products from the gazillions of products on Amazon U.S. But I think we should be realistic here. It seems more likely that when Prime launches in Singapore, we’d still be restricted to the Amazon Global Store, which Amazon launched in late 2014 to cater to its international audience. For those unaware, Amazon currently already provides an AmazonGlobal Program that offers free shipping to Singapore if an order amounts to at least US$125. As such, perhaps the perk for Singapore Prime members would be faster cross-border shipping and/or a lower minimum spend requirement. But hey, that’s just my own speculation.

  If you want Amazon Prime because you want Prime Video, well, you can already get the video streaming service separately.

   

  6.) What delivery options are there in Prime Now?

  Prime Now offers:

  • Free 2-hour delivery with a minimum order of S$40
  • S$5.99 fee for 2-hour delivery for orders less than S$40
  • S$9.99 fee for 1-hour delivery (any order amount)
  • Deliveries from 10 AM to 10 PM daily

   

  

   

  7.) Can Amazon really deliver so fast?

  The whole idea of Prime Now is fast delivery, and to do that it needs to first have the goods near to their customers. For this, Amazon has leased a 100,000-square foot warehouse at the Mapletree Logistics Hub off Toh Guan Road East, which according to the company is the largest urban Prime Now fulfillment center they currently have globally. Now, Singapore is pretty small, so I’d say the proximity issue is covered. Take note though, while the two-hour delivery option is applicable to most parts of the Singapore mainland and Sentosa, the one-hour option is only for supported areas. The best way to find out is to enter your postal code in the app and create an order to reveal the options.

  The other part of the equation is the processing and actual delivery. The technology that Amazon uses at its fulfillment centers are legendary, so incidents like servers being overwhelmed or customers unknowingly ordering an item that’s out of stock are unlikely to happen.

  That said, the key selling point of Prime Now is its super-fast delivery, and this is where things may not go according to customers’ wishes. You see, the items that you’ve ordered are still picked up from shelves by humans, packed and sorted by humans, and finally, delivered to your doorstep by humans (in a Ninja Van). In an ideal world, if 50,000 of us buy from Prime Now at the same time, all hoping to get our orders in the next hour, we all should be able to book the slot.

  But we don’t live in an ideal world, because it’s super unlikely that Amazon has that many people at the warehouse or that many couriers on standby. This probably explains why many people couldn't get the time slot they wanted yesterday and even today, with some couldn't even place an order due to delivery being unavailable, a telltale sign that the couriers were fully booked. Some were able to place orders for next-day delivery, but that's also weird, because that means it's not very Prime Now-y.

  It's a learning curve for even the 800-pound gorilla. We can only hope these are launch day woes. On hindsight, didn't Amazon think this would happen when it decided to offer Prime Now sans a Prime membership?

  

  Noooooooooooooooooooo........!

  More

   

  8.) Prime Now vs. Lazada/Redmart - which is better?

  According to Amazon, Prime Now offers “tens of thousands” of items, including groceries, household and home essentials, baby, beauty, and electronics products, toys, and more. According to this Business Times article, it has more like 20,000+ unique items.

  On the other hand, Redmart is said to carry over 50,000 items. Factor in Lazada (which owns Redmart) for items not found on the online supermarket, the total number will be even greater. So yes, for the numbers game, the Lazada+Redmart combo has the upper hand. And for those unaware, Lazada has this S$28.80 LiveUp membership program that offers benefits such as free delivery, rebates, and discounts from the e-commerce website, Redmart, Netflix, Uber, UberEats, and Taobao Collection.

  Of course, no one platform has everything under the sun, and it ultimately boils down to which has the item that you want, or if both have it, which offers the better price, convenience, etc. For example, Amazon sells eggs but not sourced from Seng Choon, but Redmart does. So if you only eat Seng Choon eggs, Redmart wins. However, if you prefer AmazonBasics-branded electronics accessories over their Taobao equivalent, it’s obvious that you’ll find them on Prime Now. Looking for cooked food? Deliveroo or Foodpanda is a better bet.

  In essence, there will always be things that you’d find on Prime Now that aren’t on Lazada or Redmart, and vice versa. Not to mention inventory, prices, and offers change so frequently for such online shopping platforms.

  So be a smart shopper, use both, and you’re the winner.

  

  To be clear, Prime Now sells eggs, but from N&N, Chew's, and Egg Story.

  More

   

  9.) Are there any must-not-miss offers on Prime Now now?

  To entice users to try out Prime Now, Amazon is now offering a S$10 discount for your first order when you use the code ‘10PRIMENOW’ at checkout.

  Alternatively, if you’re going to pay with a Visa card, you can use the code ‘VISA20’ to get S$20 off your first order. It goes without saying that the “best deal” now is to order something or a few things to meet the S$40 minimum order requirement and apply the Visa code. A 50% discount, if you will.

  Update, July 29, 7 AM: We've heard from readers that both S$10 and S$20 codes can no longer be used. But some still managed to apply them. Moral of the story: No harm trying when checking out.

  Update, July 28, 2:55 PM: Looks like the S$20 Visa code is no longer valid. That's... sad.

  

   

  yahoo

• FireIce

  19 Sep 17, 14:59

  You'll soon be able to buy IKEA furniture without leaving the house

  Imagine browsing IKEA furniture, as you perch comfortably on your IKEA Vimle sofa, sipping tea from your white IKEA mug. Finally satisfied with your cart, you hit "checkout", and watch as everything empties neatly into cyberspace, with a confirmation email that your purchases are now on their way. A new haul of minimalistic Swedish homeware reaches you in mere days—and you didn’t even have to go down to Tampines or Queenstown to get it.

  Our dreams are officially becoming reality. According to Marketing Interactive, furniture and lifestyle retailer IKEA has announced an e-commerce site for both its Singapore and Malaysia markets. While shoppers could previously browse existing collections on the IKEA website, there was no option to purchase them online. The new e-commerce service will launch in Singapore within the next month or so, though it is still in the testing stage to "provide a quality experience to customers", a spokesperson from IKEA Singapore said.

  Just last month, IKEA China launched a pilot program for its e-commerce business in Shanghai, with plans to expand across the country if the trial run is a success; and it seems Singapore is next in line to be privy to their exclusive online shopping services. With holiday season just around the corner, this couldn't come at a better time.

• FireIce

  9 Oct 17, 23:07

  Factory outlet shopping malls in Singapore that you didn't know existed

   

  Increasing costs of living is a sign of the times. Hence, most Singaporeans look forward to seasonal sales to get the most out of their hard-earned dollars.

  However, what if we told you that you can fulfil your shopping desires all year-round with cheap deals from these factory outlet malls in Singapore? Here’s a list of three of the best factory outlet malls for you to indulge in some really cheap shopping from some of your favourite brands!

   

  IMM Mall

  Image credit: capitaland.com

  Indisputably Singapore’s largest factory outlet mall, the five-storey high IMM is home to over 90 factory outlet stores offering up to 80% discounts all year round. A 10-minute walk from Jurong East MRT station, this megamall is a favourite among fashionistas, house owners and just about anyone who loves great bargains!

  Touted as the Singaporean factory outlet mall with the mostest, enjoy outlet shopping at some of your favourite brands like Adidas, agnes b., ASICS, Calvin Klein, Fred Perry, G-SHOCK, Lacoste, New Balance, Nike, Onitsuka Tiger, PUMA, Samsonite, Triumph, Timberland and Under Armour.

  Some other popular outlet stores in IMM include:

  Charles & Keith Outlet

  Image credit: IMM outlet mall | Facebook.com

  A homegrown brand that many women adore, Charles & Keith has over 500 stores across the Asia Pacific and Middle East. And in IMM, you can find the cheapest bona fide Charles and Keith products in in its factory outlet store with prices slashed by 40% or more of its retail prices. So drop by IMM and enjoy Charles and Keith discounts on their repertoire of handbags, wallets, shoes and accessories.

  Pedro Outlet

  Image credit: capitaland.com

  The sister brand of Charles & Keith, Pedro offers a curated collection of  men’s and women’s footwear and accessories. Its factory outlet store in IMM offers an impressive range of products at really enticing discounts and is a great place to bargain-hunt for sophisticated footwear!

  Coach

  Image credit: capitaland.com

  If you think that the airport is the only place you can get authentic luxury bags at discounted prices, think again. At IMM, the Coach factory outlet offers a wide range of their handbags and accessories and at steeply discounted prices.

  Address: 2 Jurong East Street 21 Singapore 609601
  Tel: 65682000
  Opening hours: Daily 10:00 to 22:00

  Changi City Point

  Image credit: Chongkian | commons.wikimedia.org

  Changi City Point, a three-storey shopping mall tucked away inside Changi Business Park, is a stone’s throw away from Expo MRT station. It is the factory outlet mall to shop in if you are looking to purchase lifestyle, mid-range and sports products.

  Some popular outlet stores include ASICS, Clarks, Esprit, Hush Puppies, Lacoste, PUMA and Samsonite.

  Nike

  Image credit: solluminaire.com.sg

  Changi City point is definitely the the go-to mall for sports enthusiasts. The Nike factory outlet store here sells their sportswear at prices as low as 50% off retail price. So keep your eyes peeled the next time you jog by the mall for fabulous Nike discounts, the indisputable sports brand titan!

  Adidas

  Image credit: @mikoleeforever | Instagram

  There is also an Adidas factory outlet store in Changi City Point if you are Team Adidas. Located at the same level as its rival brand, the Adidas factory outlet store also provides a variety of Adidas sports apparel and footwear at irresistibly low prices all year round so do check what this other sports brand giant has in store too!

  Address: 5 Changi Business Park Central 1, 486038
  Tel: 6511 1088
  Opening hours: Daily 10:00 to 22:00

  Anchorpoint Shopping Centre

  Image credit: coleysjustsaying.blogspot.sg

  When it comes to cheap shopping in Singapore, how can we possibly leave out Anchorpoint Shopping Centre? Situated at Alexandra Road and within walking distance from IKEA, it is a fantastic mall to purchase your fashion goods at supremely low prices.

  Some of the local favourites to shop from include Charles & Keith, Billabong, Pedro and Skechers!

  Cotton On

  Image credit: coleysjustsaying.blogspot.sg

  Cotton On is loved by Singaporeans for their cheap and comfy apparel. Save even more when you patronise Cotton On’s factory outlet store in Anchorpoint. Items are going for as low as $5 so swing by Cotton On if you want to spruce up your wardrobe on a shoestring budget!

  Typo

  Image credit: aisaipac.com

  If you like pretty and nifty stationery to make doing homework less boring, Typo at Anchorpoint is just the place you need to pop by. You’ll even be able to find some of the latest designs at discounted prices. So come down here to grab your snazzy and incredibly affordable stationery for school and work!

  Address: 370 Alexandra Road, 159953
  Tel: 6475 2257
  Opening hours: Daily 10:00 to 22:00

  These are just some of the factory outlet stores in Singapore and it’s your turn to hunt for the cheapest shopping deals. Let us know where are your favourite places to shop at outlet prices!

   

  shopback

• FireIce

  30 Nov 17, 11:45

  14 Awesome Online Shopping Sites That Offer Free Shipping to Singapore

   

  Just because the Orchard Road malls are getting no love from Singaporeans doesn’t mean there are fewer shopaholics around. People are just taking their money and spending it online instead.

   

  And that means that Singaporeans can now shop just about anywhere. People often sneakily check online shopping sites at work, or browse them on their smartphones on the way to work.

  Unfortunately, with the Singapore dollar set to weaken further this year, shopping on your favourite sites could get more expensive. Here are 13 sites that offer free shipping to take away a bit of the sting.

   

  Books

  Book Depository – While Singapore isn’t exactly a land where bookshops lurk around every corner, let’s hope it’s because locals are actually buying books online. Not only are books at Book Depository often cheaper than those at the nearest chain bookstore, shipping to Singapore is also free.

  Better World Books – This UK-based online bookstore sells both new and second-hand books, as well as textbooks. They also ship internationally for free.

   

  Fashion

  ASOS – ASOS’s fast fashion and high street offerings are very popular amongst Singaporean uni students and office workers, and it’s easy to see why–their free shipping on orders over 9.47 GBP is still very tempting today.

  Zalora – This online retailer sells a broad range of products, from clothes and shoes to watches and sports items, as well as brands like Topshop and Melissa. They offer free shipping on orders of $40 and above.

  Shopbop – One of the most popular shopping sites amongst Singaporeans who are willing to pay more for luxury/cult fashion brands but would not be caught dead carrying something as common as an LV monogrammed bag, Shopbop offers free shipping on all orders over $100, while orders under $100 cost only $10 to ship.

  Modcloth – This wildly popular online clothing store is a hit amongst girls who like a vintage/cute aesthetic. They usually offer free shipping on orders of 150 USD or more, but right now they’re having a promotion which bags you free shipping so long as you spend 75 USD or more.

  Luisaviaroma – Another multi-brand site dedicated to edgy designer items, with a focus on European brands. Express shipping is free.

  Chicwish – If you’re a fan of Modcloth, check out Chicwish, who offer a somewhat similar aesthetic, as well as free shipping to Singapore.

   

  Skincare and cosmetics

  Strawberrynet – Strawberrynet sells a wide range of skincare, haircare and cosmetic products, as well as perfumes, often at much lower prices than you’d pay at a retail store in Singapore. They offer free worldwide shipping on orders of US$30 and above.

  Beauty Bay – This site specialises in mostly affordable to mid-range skincare, haircare, makeup, nail and bath and body products. Free shipping on orders above 27 SGD.

   

  Homeware and gifts

  Animi Causa – This site sells quirky home accessories, kitchenware and gift items that range from wall decals to dinosaur-shaped tea infusers. They also offer free international shipping, which will come in handy if you decide to order a massive furniture item.

   

  Miscellaneous

  Amazon US Site – Amazon’s US site offers free shipping to Singapore. The catch is that you are limited to products under the AmazonGlobal Program and you must spend at least US$125.

  Amazon Prime Now (Singapore) – Amazon’s Singapore online shopping experienceoffers a product range that you might find quite different from that on their US site. You can buy groceries, electronics, toys and games, sports equipment and more. The mobile app offers free shipping when you spend at least 40 SGD, otherwise you pay a reasonable delivery fee of 5.99 SGD.

  Fishpond – This is another all-purpose store that offers free worldwide shipping. They’ve got an extensive book collection as well as toys, homeware, baby products, health and beauty products and even jewellery.

   

  The post 14 Awesome Online Shopping Sites That Offer Free Shipping to Singaporeappeared first on the MoneySmart blog.

• FireIce

  19 Dec 17, 12:37

  Ezbuy stops service for shoppers to buy from Taobao

   

  E-shopping service provider Ezbuy said on Monday (Dec 18) it is no longer offering its popular Buy-For-Me service with Chinese e-marketplace Taobao until further notice.

  However, the company, which had been dogged by delayed orders because of a spat with Taobao’s owner Alibaba, said it will continue to run the service for other popular Chinese e-commerce sites such as JD.com (Jing Dong) and Mogujie. JD.com is one of Alibaba’s biggest rival in the Chinese e-commerce market.

  An Ezbuy spokesperson reiterated that its other services, including those for e-marketplaces from Korea, the United States, Taiwan, have had “no disruption to their services and have been operating smoothly”.

  TODAY had reported last month about the onslaught of complaints against the firm from users whose orders were delayed, with many saying that they were unable to resolve their issues with the company through its customer service platforms. Late last month, Ezbuy told TODAY that an estimated 30,000 orders were disrupted, and it was working towards fulfilling the outstanding orders.

  Providing an update on Monday, Ezbuy said all the orders from the Nov 11 Singles’ Day sales have been “successfully processed”. “Respective shipping duration applies,” the spokesperson said.

  To cope with the backlog of orders, the spokesperson said it has recruited additional manpower and added more warehouses to handle orders round the clock.

  Ezbuy has more than 1 million registered users in Singapore. The spokesperson reiterated that as of Monday, the company has over three million product listings which offer customers “a good variety of products from China at good (prices)”. “Since March 2016, Ezbuy has opened its marketplace to attract sellers, including those from Jingdong and Mogujie, which are both top e-commerce sites in China. Many of the sellers on these two platforms are also sellers on Taobao,” the spokesperson said.

  Earlier this month, Ezbuy sought to explain the reasons behind the massive disruption to the orders. Among other things, it said that more than 1,000 purchasing accounts it used for placing orders on Taobao had been blocked. The firm said its woes had started on Nov 4, when 161 of its purchasing accounts faced issues while checking out the items bought.

  Ezbuy founder He Jian also posted an open letter to Alibaba founder Jack Ma on social media platform WeChat, accusing Taobao of bullying a smaller player.

  Alibaba responded on the same day, issuing a public statement accusing Ezbuy of “scalping” - a practice of creating accounts to buy items and reselling them – which was “in clear breach” of its rules. Alibaba said: “We have rules that govern how business should be conducted on our platform. From time to time, we identify businesses or individuals who violate these rules, and are required to respond, with measures including the freezing or permanent closure of their accounts.”

  Responding to Alibaba’s accusation, Ezbuy told TODAY that it was “inaccurate” to label its practice as scalping. “We started the Buy-For-Me service for China to help customers in Singapore buy from several e-commerce platforms in early 2010… We are simply giving customers a more curated selection of products… We value-add to Taobao and our customers.”

   

  todayonline

• FireIce

  2 Jan 18, 12:02

  Amazon Prime Singapore – What does full membership mean for Singaporeans? http://bit.ly/2lDmLuB 

• FireIce

  28 Jan 18, 18:46

  Online grocery shopping in Singapore – which is the cheapest?

   

  The future of grocery shopping is online

  Online grocery shopping in Singapore is starting to gain its foothold in many households, especially for families who do not enjoy the luxury of strolling down supermarket lanes. More online groceries businesses have appeared in the last few years – honestbee, RedMart, and Amazon Prime – just to name a few. Even big supermarket chains like FairPrice have entered the online arena by ramping up their online grocery delivery platform. With the myriad of online grocers, what are their value propositions? Which one delivers the most cost savings to consumers? Let’s break it down for you.

   

  1. honestbee

  honestbee is an online concierge and delivery service launched in Singapore in 2015. On honestbee Singapore’s site, customers can select items from over 50 stores and receive them at their doorstep without having to leave the comfort of their homes. honestbee does not stockpile products in a warehouse – their concierge shoppers hand-pick every item at the selected store near you when you place an order. This gives customers the widest choice and the freshest items.

  It is good to note that honestbee charges customers the same price as the stores. For example, if you are purchasing a carton of Meiji milk from FairPrice via honestbee, you will be paying the same price if you were to purchase the milk directly from FairPrice.

   

  2. RedMart

  RedMart is an online supermarket founded in Singapore in 2011 with the mission to save customers’ time and money on grocery shopping. They offer a wide selection of quality fresh food, household essentials and general merchandise with the convenience of home delivery.

  Savings on RedMart comes about if you buy in bulk as they adopt a bundle pricing system. For instance, if you were to compare the “Kleenex Clean Care Toilet Tissue 10 X 200S” on RedMart and FairPrice online, you’d notice that if you purchase one of that item, FairPrice online charges a lower price. But because RedMart has a bundle price of $18.95 for 3, the average price for one item is cheaper than FairPrice online.

   

  3. Amazon Prime Now

  Amazon’s online grocery service, Prime Now, has launched in Singapore in 2017. It aims at providing ultra-fast delivery with one or two-hour delivery windows in the same or next day. The customer can choose from tens of thousands of products including groceries, home essentials, baby and beauty products and even electronics.

  Unlike other online grocers, Prime Now is currently only available via a mobile app which can be downloaded from both the Google Play and App Stores. For the initial roll-out period, customers are able to try the Prime Now service without the need to own a Prime membership. At this time, there is no confirmed information on how much the Prime membership would cost customers after the roll-out phase.

  Comparisons of several products show that Prime Now’s offerings are sold at the same price points as other grocers such as FairPrice online.

   

  4. FairPrice Online

  FairPrice Online is a virtual supermarket that allows customers to shop from the comfort of their homes anytime and have groceries delivered to their doorstep. FairPrice, apart from the physical stores, owns a fresh food distribution centre and a centralised warehousing and distribution company. FairPrice members continue to enjoy the same in-store rebates when they make purchases online.

  It is useful to note that FairPrice’s in-store prices and online prices are the same unless there are exclusive promotions that are only available in FairPrice, FairPrice Finest, FairPrice Xtra and/or FairPrice Online. At times, there may also be specific in-store promotions where the price card will read ‘This store only’.

   

  

   

  Cheapest items – RedMart

  Comparing all the abovementioned online grocers, RedMart emerges as the online grocer with the cheapest items because of its bundle pricing system. Even though an item is priced the same on RedMart as on other online grocers, they offer discounts if customers purchase in bulk – hence the price savings. As such, RedMart is the way to go if you are intending to make a bulk purchase.

  Cheapest delivery – honestbee

  Amongst the four, honestbee comes through as the online grocer with the cheapest delivery cost. You may argue that the next best delivery cost (by Amazon Prime and RedMart) is only $1 more, but this $1 can add up to quite a sum if you do your online grocery shopping regularly.

  Cheapest minimum spending – Amazon Prime, RedMart

  Amazon Prime and RedMart both hold the title of having the lowest minimum spending amount required for customers to qualify for free delivery. That means you won’t have to make big purchases each time and can make small yet frequent purchases – hello convenience!

  Cheapest overall* – RedMart

  Looking at the three factors above, RedMart emerges as the overall cheapest online grocer to shop at. RedMart delivers every day, including weekends and public holidays, from 10 am to 10pm. Moreover, they are so committed to providing their customers with the lowest prices that in the event you find a lower regular selling price for an identical product at another store, they are willing to pay you two times the difference in price.

  * Conclusions considering the information available on December 17.

   

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