Retail is not dead, according to honestbee.
That is, of course, only if retail revamps itself.
In a bid to prove this point, they unveiled today its latest offering – habitat by honestbee, which is said to be “the world’s first tech-integrated multi-sensory grocery and dining destination of its kind”.
Modelled around the concept of ‘NewGen Retail’, the 60,000 sq ft space is located next to Mapletree Business City at Pasir Panjang.
habitat by honestbee is both a supermarket with “over 20,000 Asian and global flavours and ingredients and daily essentials”, and also a space where consumers can get their meals for dine-in or takeaway.
Featuring 15 F&B concepts, visitors to habitat can get to feast on fluffy Japanese soufflé pancakes, grain bowls, salads, pasta, and homemade kombucha.
An oyster bar and hidden bar are also dining concepts that are still in the pipeline.
Food workshops, masterclasses and hands-on experiences with products would also be made available for visitors.
Said Pauline Png, VP & Managing Director of habitat by honestbee: “With its launch, we now provide tech-enabled convenience, value and quality through food in both the online and offline experience. It is a unique combination of a full supermarket, speciality grocer, dining and interactive lifestyle destination.”
We designed it so that customers can get their groceries and meals efficiently but also linger and enjoy the experience.
In addition, habitat by honestbee will also function as an e-commerce fulfilment centre for its grocery delivery service, and also as a retail innovation hub “to test new concepts and features, as well as optimise technology and logistics capabilities”.
Making It “Convenient And Less Expensive” For Global F&B Brands To Expand
honestbee also wants to be a space that “makes it convenient and less expensive for global entrepreneurs and FMCG/F&B partners to establish or expand their presence online and offline”.
For example, habitat by honestbee has partnered with Michelin-mentioned Tokyo pancake cafe Riz Labo Kitchen, local restaurant Char, and also Prime Supermarket, Mahota speciality grocer, Indoguna, Bear Bear Fresh and FarEastFlora.com.
“Without having to commit to technological and operational costs as well as infrastructure and fixtures, marketplace partners can enjoy the integration of online and offline, logistics, cashless payment, customer service and data, allowing them to focus on delivering quality, one-of-a kind dining and shopping experiences.”
Fully-Automated Robotic Grocery Collection, Launch Of E-Wallet beePay
Living up to its ‘tech-integrated’ name, habitat by honestbee also offers a cashless checkout experience (AutoCheckout) and a fully-automated, robotic collection point (RoboCollect).
Using the honestbee app, visitors will enter habitat via beePay, honestbee’s digital wallet.
Using the beePay wallet, habitat visitors can also pay for their purchases seamlessly and securely.
The beePay wallet can also be used for transactions at habitat’s F&B outlets.
For purchases of 10 items or less (think of it as your typical supermarket’s ‘express queue’), shoppers can use the ‘Scan & Go’ function on the honestbee app, so that they can skip the line and get their items on the spot.
For checkouts with more than 10 items, shoppers can drop off their trolleys at their AutoCheckout, and the honestbee team will handle the packing and storage.
Once items are ready for collection, shoppers can head to the collection point, where robots will bring your bags of groceries right to where you’re standing.
According to honestbee, orders can be processed in “as fast as 5 minutes”.
Here’s another cool thing: online grocery orders are fulfilled by shopper bees who use overhead conveyor belts that stretch across the entire space!
“Since honestbee launched in 2015, we have used technology as a way to provide greater convenience into people’s lives and to boost the economy through jobs creation and upskilling,” shared Joel Sng, CEO & Founder of honestbee.
“We believe that technology should be harnessed in the quest of quality human interaction: whether it is to give us more time to enjoy meals with family, share conversations with friends or have a deeper understanding for food. We invite merchants and partners to join us in this ‘NewGen Retail’ journey together.”
habitat by honestbee opens to the public this Thursday, 18 Oct 2018.
habitat by honestbee
34 Boon Leat Terrace
Singapore 119866 (next to Mapletree Business City)
Opening hours: 8am to 10pm
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