A few years ago, it would have been unthinkable to do your wet market shopping remotely. The consummate homemaker would have cringed—how on earth could he or she ensure getting the freshest seafood and the best produce with just a few taps on a smartphone.
But businesses are going through a technological transformation, and thanks to online concierge service honestbee, even wet markets are now part of the digital economy.
“The wet market category is one of our strongest categories in honestbee. As transportation becomes increasingly difficult with the worsening traffic, more and more people are using honestbee for their wet market orders,” said Cat Avelino, honestbee brand and communications director.
honestbee has partnered with leading fresh markets such as Farmers Market in Cubao, Alabang Wet Market, and Pasig City Mega Market, as well as the Carbon Public Market and Taboan Public Market in Cebu.
“We are targeting more saturation in terms of geographic coverage and plan to bring on board more merchants. This way, we can serve more areas,” said Avelino.
Customers are assured of getting only the freshest produce delivered to their doorsteps as shopper bees undergo thorough training and examinations before they are hired.
For 52-year-old Ruby Naval, a homemaker with two kids, being a shopper bee entailed learning and re-learning how to pick the freshest produce, recommend the most suitable substitutes in case an item is not available, and package produce properly.
“I am a mother, so I know the basics as I do the market for our family. But I learned a lot from honestbee, especially when I was assigned here at Farmers Market where there are different kinds of fish, seafood, meat cuts, and even vegetables and fruits that I am not familiar with,” Naval said in Filipino.
Naval said on the average, she serves at least 10 to 15 clients daily, and the number goes up to as high as 20 orders on weekends.
honestbee has partner-stalls at Farmers Market, which, according to Avelino, are required to issue receipts.
Carmela Zapanta, whose mother owns the eponymous vegetable stand Helen’s at Farmers Market, said the partnership has increased their revenues “significantly.”
“People prefer the convenience of getting the freshest produce without leaving the comforts of their homes,” said Zapanta. “The partnership with honestbee was a big help for us—our income increased significantly.”
For Avelino, the honestbee system is convenient and effective given their expert shopper bees and efficient riders. It is a great model of how both offline and online businesses complement each other.
“We want people to feel confident that our shopper bees will pick the best produce for them. All you have to do now is think about the next meal you’ll be preparing and #justhonestbee,” she said.
I’m at joyce.panares@gmail.com.