//

Online grocery delivery service RedMart seems ready to launch a series of new delivery-focused products, Tech in Asia has learned. Within its Google Play Store developer page, we saw some new mobile apps that point toward a diversification of the startup’s services.

The apps in question are Relay and Runner.

Not much is known about the services at this time, but the Play Store descriptions are very detailed – the apps seem to be already launched.

Relay seems to be the chief new offering revealed here. It’s described as “a brand new app that’s all about speed… think of it as your very own personal shopping assistant.” A web page that calls for “runners,” people who will act as shoppers and delivery persons, refers to RedMart Relay as connecting customers with the things they want to buy from their favorite stores. Examples on the page include Thai and Italian food, artisanal bread, flowers, fitness supplements, and general store goods. This seems to be RedMart’s entry into general on-demand delivery, beyond just groceries.

See: Southeast Asia’s top 30 tech foundersThe runners apparently have their own mobile app, which describes them as “friendly customer delight assistants who help purchase and deliver the items to customers, all within an hour.” Both the app and the website mentions that anyone can sign on to be a runner, including “college students, parents, or anyone looking to have fun in their spare time while earning extra cash.”

This points to a sort of Uber for home delivery, the likes of which competing startup Honestbee already uses. It looks like a further embrace of the hybrid model RedMart adopted back in July, combining delivery from its own warehouses with partnering with existing supermarket chains.

Delivery professionals like Fedex and SingPost drivers or food delivery persons are also encouraged to apply. The applicant is required to be over 18, have a valid Singaporean driving/riding license, and preferably own a motorbike, car, or van. The homepage claims that runners can earn up to S$20 (US$14) per hour.

See: Southeast Asia’s online grocery battle (INFOGRAPHIC)RedMart co-founder and CEO Roger Egan previously talked about RedMart becoming “the everything store” during an interview on stage at the Tech in Asia Jakarta 2015 conference. The company raised a US$26.7 million bridge round of funding in August 2015, and has since announced it’s planning to expand into Hong Kong during 2016.

It is, however, facing intense competition from the likes of Honestbee, which is planning its own expansion in the region, and heavy costs incurred by things like warehousing and developing infrastructure from the ground up. These new services could give it an edge on the battle for Southeast Asia’s online retail market.

We have reached out to RedMart for comment and we will update this story when we hear back.

This post RedMart’s secret new app promises to deliver you goods within an hour appeared first on Tech in Asia.

from Tech in Asia » Startups http://ift.tt/1XvoZ9j