Merrymart partners with FoodPanda for 15-minute grocery delivery service

Merrymart Consumer Corp., through its wholly-owned subsidiary Merrymart Grocery Centers Inc., has inked an agreement with FoodPanda Philippines to operate and pioneer the 'dark grocery' store which aims to be the country's first 15-minute grocery delivery service.

In a regulatory filing on Wednesday, Merrymart said the first two 'dark grocery' stores — branches that will generally be invisible and will cater solely to online deliveries — will start operations in Makati and Manila by October.

"This concept is a real game changer in the online grocery space, imagine being able to buy exactly what you need, when you need it, and for it to arrive at your doorstep in a very short span of time," said Merrymart chairman Edgar "Injap" Sia II.

"These 'dark grocery' stores will generally be located in select hidden locations and are exclusively intended for online deliveries, we see this initiative to complement the expansion of the brick-and-mortar Merrymart branches which will serve both delivery and walk-in customers," he added.

Merrymart currently has a total of 11 operational branches, with a goal of having 25 branches by the end of 2020, and 100 branches by December 2021.

It has also set its Vision 2030, with the aim of rolling out 1,200 Merrymart branches nationwide by then, reaching P120 billion in systemwide sales revenue.

The company also made its debut on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) in June, the first company to go public so far this year.

Meanwhile, FoodPanda Philippines has over 20,000 riders, with presence in 71 cities across the country. It is operated by Berlin-based Delivery Hero SE, which operates in 51 countries across the globe.

"Our team and myself will continue to be relentless and determined to nurture and exponentially grow both DoubleDragon and MerryMart in this new decade," said Sia.

Sia also serves as the chairman and chief executive officer of DoubleDragon Properties Corp. which is involved in the business of community malls, offices, residential, and other types of developments.—AOL, GMA News