KUALA LUMPUR: Japanese retail giant Aeon Co has started delivering groceries in Malaysia in partnership with honestbee, an Asian online delivery service provider, to meet growing demand for shopping via the internet.
Under the agreement signed on Wednesday, Aeon Co (M) Bhd and the Singapore company launched an online delivery service covering an area within a 17km radius from the Aeon Mid Valley flagship store in Kuala Lumpur, offering some 5,000 items from Aeon's product lineup, the subsidiary of the Chiba-based retailer said.
Available under the service are not only halal products certified as compliant with traditional Islamic law but also non-halal food amid rapidly changing consumer behaviour in the predominantly Muslim nation, according to the company.
"E-commerce is booming here. They [honestbee] are an expert in the sector, and we decided to collaborate with them," said Shinobu Washizawa, managing director of the local unit. His company preferred the alliance rather than developing its own online platform, he added.
Mr Washizawa said in an interview with NNA that the subsidiary "will consider applying the service to other stores in the country after seeing customer demand and feedback".
Customers can receive a minimum one-hour delivery service available from 11am to 11pm, according to Marianne Chuo, country general manager of honestbee Malaysia.
The Singapore firm launched its service in 2015 and has tapped into Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, in addition to Malaysia.
