Online grocers and grocery delivery options in Singapore saves the hassle of lugging full bags of groceries home. And farmers’ markets, while scarce in Singapore, give you the opportunity to hand-pick wonderful farm-fresh goods. Here, we find out more about OpenTaste, an online grocery in Singapore that combines the perks of famers’ markets with online grocery shopping.
OpenTaste is an online platform akin to a “global farmer’s market”, featuring products from over 200 producers around the world. As a customer, you get to enjoy wholesale rates on farm-fresh produce. These range from coconuts from Thailand to pasta from Italy, alongside grass-fed Australian beef cuts and even a charcuterie board straight from Spain. That means you can expect prices to be 30 to 50 percent cheaper than for the same items carried at local bricks-and-mortar supermarkets and specialty online grocers. While not everything on site is organic, OpenTaste also has one of the largest selections of reasonably priced organic fresh produce to choose from. You’ll also find organic pantry staples like fruit jams, seeds, juices and more.
Ordering is simple, too. Just select your items before 11am online or via the OpenTaste app, along with your desired delivery window, and you’ll receive your farm-fresh groceries at your doorstep in Singapore the next day. Forgot something? You can also add to your order after placing it, right up to your cut-off time!
Keeping things fresh
The platform’s promise is that your farm-fresh products will be delivered within 36 hours of your order. How is this possible? Once you’re done grocery shopping online, OpenTaste collects the products from producers worldwide to a warehouse in Singapore. By eliminating all unnecessary intermediaries, such as farm brokers, exporters, importers and distributors, it’s able to reduce the time and distance between the farm and your fridge while cutting down on costs. The process also results in a “dump rate” of just 0.3 percent, significantly lower than the industry average of 13 percent.
Once in Singapore, each customer’s order is repacked at a collection centre before delivery. During delivery, bags and ice packs are retrieved for reusage; the rest of the packaging can be recycled or composted.
How OpenTaste compares to other players
OpenTaste is especially strong in its fresh category, offering almost everything a customer could want – high-quality meat, dairy and seafood, sold at a competitive price. I had the opportunity to visit the company warehouse, where I learnt the key contributor in this emphasis on quality: no fresh item stays in the warehouse for over 24 hours. By comparison, traditional supermarkets can store products for three to seven days. An added bonus of the model is the significant reduction of wastage (the dump rate mentioned earlier) – this means a better bottom line for the company’s sustainability, but also a reduction in costs for customers.
There’s one other often overlooked quality that brings me back to OpenTaste every time – the practical size of its bulk quantities. Buying in bulk on the platform doesn’t involve purchasing an overwhelming amount of produce – and you still get fabulous bang for your buck! While some platforms offer same-day delivery you can enjoy greater savings and the freshest produce on the island with a little extra patience.
There are exciting expansions coming iup in 2023 too, including more dry items in its grocery categories.
A typical day at OpenTaste’s collection warehouse
12am Produce from farms all around the world arrives.
3am All produce undergoes rigorous quality control checks.
5am Fresh produce is stored in a cold room to ensure maximum freshness.
6am All produce is readied for the day’s deliveries.
7am Orders get packed. 10am Orders are ready and are loaded up for delivery.
10.45am Orders leave the warehouse for delivery.
4pm All deliveries are out!
Memberships
Premium members ($3.99 per month) get unlimited free delivery on all orders over $49. The membership also entails a free pack of Kampong eggs with every weekly order. That’s 52 boxes of free Kampong eggs (six in a box) in a year!
For non-premium members, delivery is free on orders with bulk items over $100 and orders without bulk items over $49. Smaller orders cost $4.95 to deliver.
Visit here for more information on OpenTaste.
This article first appeared in the February 2023 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe, so you never miss a copy!
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