Group buys, where a group of people come together to pool orders to enjoy free deliveries or lower unit prices, have been a rising trend since the circuit breaker period in Singapore, and it only looks to be growing in popularity.
The circuit breaker period, which took place from April to June 2020, restricted Singaporeans to mostly remaining at home except for essential trips out, such as to buy food and groceries.
According to an October 2020 article in The Straits Times, this was when Cheryl Guo and Winson Lim founded Sengkang Group Buy and GroupBuysSG respectively.
During this period, Guo and Lim, through their groups, collated orders from their neighbours to hit the minimum sum for a discounted rate or free delivery from vendors. Once the order was placed and delivered, their neighbours would then head to their homes to collect their items.
However, not all group buys require purchasers to head to one place to collect their goods. Certain group buys such as those for furniture, for example, offer direct delivery to individual homes.
What Is A Group Buy?
For the uninitiated, a group buy essentially means buying in bulk – sometimes from the wholesalers or direct suppliers themselves – and shared among a group of people.
How this works is that vendors usually require a number of minimum orders to be made for buyers to be able to enjoy a significant discount or free delivery.
However, there are only so few items that an individual or a single family needs in bulk. Hence, group buys are a solution to enjoying reduced prices without having to over-order, thereby minimising wastage.
Group buying is said to have originated from China, where it is known as tuan gou or team buying. There, group buys are done mostly via online platforms, Pinduoduo being one of them.
In Singapore, group buys are usually conducted within estates via WhatsApp or Telegram group chats, where neighbours come together to purchase items such as food, electronics, furniture and other items at lower prices.
Notable Buys
Whether you’re new to group buys or have been using them for a while, here are some of the known group buys in Singapore – including those for fresh produce, groceries, hot cooked meals and more.
FreshSg
Bringing fresh produce from farmers and importers to the consumer directly, FreshSg offers fresh fruits, vegetables, dried items and juices for group buys in several estates around the island. They include Marine Parade, Tampines, Sembawang, Yishun, Hougang, Ang Mo Kio, Thomson, and Queenstown, as well as other areas.
More info at freshsg.com
TreeDots
Save up to 90% off retail prices when buying your groceries at TreeDots, a redistributor for food supplies. There are plenty of items to choose from here, including fish, prepared meats such as ribeye, as well as fresh vegetables and fruits.
More info at www.thetreedots.com/group-buy
The Buying Collective
No time to go grocery shopping? You’ll find most of what you need here. Items stocked include household cleaning supplies, ready-to-eat foods, as well as organic food and other staples.
More info at thebuyingcollective.com/collections
Fresh Collective
For your regular fix of fresh fruits and vegetables, join your nearest group buy to get your produce delivered.
More info at www.freshcollective.sg
Sengkang Group Buy
Foodies living in Sengkang are in for a treat with the variety of food order options collected in this group. This includes local vendors such as Chirashi King Kong, Old Hen Coffee Bar, Suk’s Thai Kitchen, and even overseas treats like the famous banana cake from Hiap Joo Bakery in Johor Bahru.
More info at www.instagram.com/sengkanggroupbuy
Group Buys Sg
If you’re too lazy to join the long queues or travel for food, Group Buys Sg is here to the rescue. Like Sengkang Group Buy, the group conducts group purchases from places such as The Hainan Story, which is owned by Chef Pang, formerly from Antoinette. Other group buys include No Signboard Seafood, Hoo Kee Bak Chang, Ah Seng Durian, and London Fat Duck.
More info at www.instagram.com/groupbuyssg
Hanok Kimchi
Craving homemade, fresh and authentic kimchi made by Korean chefs? Look to Hanok Kimchi for your next meal. The online food delivery service offers a group discount of 10% off the total order for its care bundle comprising its signature cabbage kimchi and two anchovies. A minimum order of 10 is required. The offer is for a limited time only.
More info at www.instagram.com/hanokkimchi
Do you participate in Group Buys? Share your tips with us at magnsman@sph.com.sg!
