A Major Shift in How Brands Need to Think about Retail and Digital Integration
In an era where digital giants are expanding beyond their core services, Grab’s recent acquisition of Everrise supermarkets in Sarawak is a strategic leap forward in Southeast Asia’s evolving retail landscape.
The move marks Grab’s continued push into the grocery sector, reinforcing its omnichannel approach and solidifying its presence in one of its key markets—Malaysia.
From a ride-hailing startup to a super app dominating food delivery, digital payments, and now groceries, Grab has mastered the art of evolution.
Its latest acquisition of Everrise from Navis Capital Partners adds 19 physical stores to its growing grocery ecosystem.
This follows its 2022 purchase of Jaya Grocer, another major Malaysian supermarket chain.
The question is—why groceries?
The answer lies in consumer behaviour.
With Southeast Asia’s fast-growing digital economy, consumers are increasingly demanding seamless, integrated shopping experiences.
The pandemic accelerated online grocery shopping, and even as life returns to normal, the convenience of digital-first retail continues to shape consumer expectations.
A Digitally Driven Grocery Revolution
Grab’s plan to digitise Everrise’s operations aligns with its broader vision—bringing grocery shopping into the digital era.
By integrating on-demand delivery, digital payments, and AI-driven inventory management, Grab is setting the stage for an advanced, data-driven retail experience.
This move is not just about selling groceries; it’s about controlling a crucial touchpoint in consumers’ daily lives.
As Grab weaves groceries into its super app ecosystem, it creates more frequent and habitual usage, driving user engagement and retention.
The GoTo Rivalry
The expansion comes at a critical time when competition among Southeast Asia’s tech giants is heating up.
Grab’s chief rival, Indonesia’s GoTo Group, is also diversifying its offerings, pushing into financial services and e-commerce.
By acquiring Everrise, Grab is fortifying its foothold in Malaysia, making it harder for competitors to encroach on its territory.
More importantly, grocery retail gives Grab a key advantage—predictability.
Unlike ride-hailing or food delivery, which fluctuate based on demand patterns, groceries are an essential, stable business.
By securing a share in this market, Grab ensures steady, recurring transactions within its ecosystem.
What This Means for Marketers
Grab’s strategy highlights a major shift in how brands need to think about retail and digital integration.
Traditional advertising and consumer engagement models are being reshaped by super apps that own multiple consumer touchpoints.
Marketers must now consider:
Hyper-Personalisation: With access to vast consumer data, Grab can offer tailored promotions and predictive grocery recommendations.
Seamless Online-to-Offline (O2O) Journeys: The ability to merge digital ordering with physical store pick-up or delivery offers new opportunities for engagement.
Loyalty Ecosystems: By integrating groceries into its rewards programme, Grab could further lock in customer loyalty and increase cross-platform spending.
Grab’s acquisition of Everrise is more than just a supermarket buyout—it’s a strategic play to dominate Southeast Asia’s grocery and retail economy.
By leveraging technology, data, and logistics expertise, Grab is redefining what it means to be a retailer in the digital age.
As the lines between e-commerce, fintech, and brick-and-mortar stores blur, one thing is clear: the future of retail belongs to those who can seamlessly integrate all three.
For brands and marketers, this is a wake-up call.
The next battleground is not just online or offline—it’s everywhere at once.
