Wanderlust: Expat Life & Style in Thailand June / July 2017: The Business Issue | Page 12

Business
SUPERMARKET SWEEP
How honestbee is changing the face of grocery
shopping in Bangkok and beyond
By ANNALIESE WATKINS
T
echnology has already changed
so much about the way we live
our lives. At the touch of a but-
ton, we can connect with friends,
watch our favorite shows on demand,
and maybe even meet a love match.
But while we’re more than happy to
use an app to find a date, some are a
little more reluctant when it comes to
filling our fridges.
Online grocery shopping for both
fresh and packaged goods has yet
to reach the same heights as oth-
er lifestyle and retail sectors that of-
fer online shopping. Though predic-
tions suggest the trend is set to grab
20 percent of the market by 2025 in
the U.S. alone, many households are
opting for technology-free groceries.
So why the hesitation? As a gen-
eration, we are more focused on
healthy, clean eating than ever be-
fore. Grocery retail has seen a great-
er emphasis on fresh foods, prepared
foods, organics and those considered
“free from” artificial flavors or ingredi-
ents. We’re even more concerned with
quality than we are about discounts.
In short, we’re far more picky
about our provisions, which means
most of us would prefer to hand-
pick the exact groceries we want, for
A shopper bee will send a
text message to the customer
during the shop to let them
know if an item is no longer
available in store. They can make
suggestions for an alternative, or
omit the product altogether —
just as you would if you were
in the store yourself.
12 WANDERLUST
when we want them. Online food
shopping doesn’t always allow for
this, and consumer concerns over
freshness and replacements should
your product be out of stock, are
some of the key barriers to a happy
online grub shop.
THE GROCERY
CONCIERGE
honestbee is changing all of that. The
new delivery service allows users to
order their daily groceries through
freelance shoppers, who will person-
ally pick up and deliver orders to your
door within one hour. Working with