So many reasons why you should do your daily grocery shopping online: Convenience; money and time saved in comfort and it’s safe. Plus, there are many e-stores open for you to do so; here are 3, specially curated for you to start walking through the (digital) grocery aisles, stuffing your (online shopping) basket and paying for the goods and delivery (all card and e-payment, no cash and carrying needed), 24/7, day or night.
FairPrice Online
This is an online supermarket that we do not really need to tell you about… but we should. FairPrice Online is the official e-commerce portal of NTUC FairPrice Co-operative Ltd, and is the place to go to get every. Single. Thing.
Why you should look through its digital aisles: Scroll all the way down the opening page and you will come across a “Recipes” section (a perfect inspo for homecooks) where it showcases recipes for dishes such as Tomato Fried Rice and Carbonara-style Instant Noodles, and drinks recipes for concoctions such as a Durian Smoothie and alcoholic tipples, from renowned chefs and food celebs such as Derek Cheong, the winner of MasterChef Singapore 2021 (Season 2), Kelvin Ang, blogger and founder of cheekiemonkie.net and even, Jamie Oliver. There’s also a “Tips for You” section where there are “Money Saving”, “Healthy Living” and “Parenting” articles for you to peruse; and an “Events” section where FairPrice shares the new news-to-know about its physical stores as well as its other supermarkets, FairPrice Finest and FairPrice Xtra. Whew. And that’s before we even “step” into the actual official biz of the supermarket: groceries.
What you should put into your basket: As we said, you can get everything from “Fruits & `Vegetables” and “Meat & Seafood”, to “Health & Beauty” and even “Electrical, Lifestyle & Pets”, all helpfully categorised as so on the site. “Food Cupboard” is where you go to look for snacks, sweets, biscuits, breakfast goodies, canned food, instant noodles and the like that you stock your larder with; while “Housebrand” is where you find FairPrice’s own branded products that are mainly household essentials and food goods, made affordable and value-laden at wallet-friendly prices. Whatever you choose to get, you just need to spend $79 and above to get free delivery. The best tip? Just go ahead and visit FairPrice Online to spend a casual hour or two there. It’s worth it. Really.
FairPrice Online, www.fairprice.com.sg
BONUS: SAFRA members enjoy $10 off a minimum spend of $120 and $12 off a minimum spend of $150 storewide; and $10 off a minimum spend of $50 on selected P&G products at FairPrice Online. Click here for more information.
Ryan’s Grocery
It’s a long story to how the biz came about, but the gist of it is enough to warm the cockles of your heart. The parents, after finding out that their son Ryan suffered from a number of food tolerances such as dairy, gluten, nuts, yeast, and even certain fruits and vegetables such as watermelon and kiwi, decided to travel to Australia to find suitable fare for Ryan. Over a span of a few years (and many trips), they met and spoke with chefs, farmers, butchers and other specialised small-batch producers who shared their quest for quality, natural food, and the rest, as they say, is history. Ryan’s Grocery was born in 2015, and has now, two physical outlets in Binjai Park and Great World respectively, with a recent expansion as a franchised business in Vietnam. A homegrown grocer and butchery success story with heart? We, and you too, ought to heart this!
Why you should look through its digital aisles:
Very simply, its digital outpost is your online go-to for all things sustainable and ethical (the foods are sourced from certified organic and free-range farms) and allergen-friendly (there are lots of gluten-, allergen-, hormone- and preservative-free options to choose from here). Consider this as your gourmet, specialty foods alternative to all of your larger supermarket players out there in SG. On its site, you can not only view the biz’s brand story and blog, but also the farms they source from (for transparency and informed consumer choice) and a recipes section with very pretty, very “lifestyle” dishes to try. For the retail section, it’s done up simply but made easily navigable, with the grocer’s specialties placed in its own categories, such as “Delicatessen” and “Vegan”.
What you should put into your basket:
Naturally, it would be for all the quality, natural food. For meats, there’s organic grass-fed, 100-days grain-fed and dry aged beef types, organic carbon neutral lamb, and organic and broiler chicken (Malaysia); dairy and protein alternatives for its vegan fare; and vegan choices and milk alternatives under its “Dairy, Eggs & Milk” section. Don’t know what you want and wish to expand your palate? Then click on the “New Arrivals”, “Promotion” or “Best Sellers” (housed under the “What’s New” tab). What we spotted with our little discerning eye when we last visited: Okan’s Wagyu Beef Finer Rib MB 4-5 going at $15.75 for 300g (it’s new!), a 750ml bottle of Stella Bella Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2016 for $55, down from the usual $65 (it’s on promotion!), and Ryan’s Organic Poulet Chicken Fillet Tenderloin priced at $11.10 for 300g (it’s a best seller!). And, you can get allll of this goodness delivered for free when you spend $120 and above.
Ryan’s Grocery, www.ryansgrocery.com
BONUS: SAFRA members enjoy 5% off grocery items, 10% off butchery items, free delivery for first time order with a minimum spend of $100, and a 100-day grain-fed Australian Premium Beef Box (Set C) at $56 (U.P. $70.35) at Ryan’s Grocery. Click here for more information.
TADA Fresh Market
Operated by SG’s first zero-commission ride-hailing service TADA, it’s actually a next-day wet market delivery service that “aims to support the local wet market stallholders and sustain the livelihoods of Singapore’s taxi and private-hire drivers”, with 100% of the delivery fees going to the drivers. Nice. Also, nice: It brings more than 2, 000 items from three traditional wet markets – Tekka, Tiong Bahru and Pasar 216 Bedok Central – directly to your doorstep. Wet market goods at wet market prices with supermarket-style shopping and delivery? Your parents would so approve of this digital platform.
Why you should look through its digital aisles:
For all the wet market products and produce, but of course. Expect fresh veggies and seafood, spices, tofu and fresh noodles, yong tau foo (abbreviated as YTF on the site, in case you need to look for it) and steamboat essentials, coffee beans, flowers and plants, and even special categories such as “7 Tiong Bahru Fishball” retailing fish paste goods such as Mini Fish Ngoh Hiang ($1.50 for 3 pieces) and Fish Roll ($2.40 for a piece), and “Taiwanese Specialities”, showcasing Isle Provisions’ selection of small-batch natural products such as Cold Pressed Black Sesame Oil ($14.90, 250ml) and Mala Pepper Oil ($14.90, 100ml).
What you should put into your basket:
Aside from the special products highlighted above… everything else! Since it’s all fresh and affordable from the wet markets and that we can also support local and traditional. But, here’s what we saw that’s hot and recommended on the site: Buah Keluak from Hai Kee Goods ($2 for about 5 pieces); Sandy Kampong Eggs from P & M Egg Store ($3.90 for 10) and a “TPL” Veg & Mushroom Hotpot Bento bundle from Chia’s Vegetable Supply ($19.90, U.P. $21.40). Bargain hunters, make sure to click on the “$1 Weekly Deals”. Tip: If you spend $50 and above before 1.30 p.m., you get to have free next-day delivery between 2 to 6 p.m.
TADA Fresh Market, https://tadafresh.com
BONUS: SAFRA members enjoy 1-for-1 wild-caught Norwegian Salmon Fillet (200g) and NZ Beef Short Ribs (500g) with a minimum spend of $80; and 5% off with minimum spend of $60 at TADA Fresh Market. Click here for more information.
Featured image: Shutterstock
