During the pandemic, most of the F&B merchants have to rely on food delivery platforms to continue running their business. It is also during this period when food delivery platforms are mushrooming, similar to what…
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Maybank has announced that it has integrated its online Sama-Sama Lokal marketplace into its MAE app to further assist Small and Medium-sized F&B Enterprises (F&B SMEs) such as local hawkers and home-based businesses to market their food offerings to its retail customers – the first such feature within a banking app in Malaysia.
This addition to the MAE app is part of the Bank’s continued drive to deliver practical digital solutions to both its individual and SME customers as well as provide businesses with complementary support and solutions beyond traditional banking services.
Sama-Sama Lokal, Maybank’s zero commission online marketplace, was developed during the first movement control order in April 2020 to assist neighbourhood businesses which were suffering from a decline in sales owing to reduced footfall. Today, the platform has close to 14,000 merchants, which benefit from being connected to the Bank’s 12 million customer base. At the same time, the Bank’s retail customers get to enjoy the ease and convenience of ordering food through a bank-backed secure platform.
Maybank’s Group CEO of Community Financial Services, Dato’ John Chong said, “From the start, our purpose of setting up Sama-Sama Lokal was to help our neighbourhood businesses recover and grow. While the economy has reopened, our intent has not changed, and that is why we will continue to ensure Sama-Sama Lokal remains a zero commission platform, with no set up, transaction or administration fees. By allowing the businesses to keep 100% of their profits, we hope to help them maximise their earnings and recover rapidly from the pandemic.”
Dato’ John added that the growing demand for food delivery services via Sama-Sama Lokal proves that digital platforms will continue to play an important role in serving the needs of the average consumer.
“In 2021, we saw a surge in merchant adoption and usage of Sama-Sama Lokal, with a 12-fold year-on-year increase in orders. Even with the reopening of the economy now, we continue to see strong sales in November and December 2021 – which grew by over 18-fold compared with the same period last year. By buying from their favourite Sama-Sama Lokal merchants, customers now have the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to these small businesses, who will keep full earnings from their sales.”
According to the Google-commissioned Kantar SEA e-Conomy Research 2021, online services such as food delivery grew by 47% last year and contributed significantly to the internet economy in Malaysia.
“To stay agile in the post-pandemic landscape, brick-and-mortar businesses need to digitalise to remain visible to customers and future-proof their businesses. This omni-channel approach will also help SMEs buffer against any unforeseen shock in the future. Sama-Sama Lokal is an easy and a commitment-free platform for SMEs who are taking the first step to digitalise their business,” Dato’ John said.
Customers placing orders via Sama-Sama Lokal on the MAE app just need to click on the Sama-Sama Lokal banner on the homepage of the app, select the restaurant/shop they want to order from and follow the next steps. Existing Sama-Sama Lokal customers will continue to enjoy a smooth food order experience, with their past orders, list of favourite merchants and personal particulars such as mobile number and address automatically migrated to the MAE app.
To further drive sales for the F&B SMEs in conjunction with the upcoming Chinese New Year festive season as well as celebrate the introduction of Sama-Sama Lokal on the MAE app, Maybank is launching two promotions in the next two months for the benefit of its customers.
From now until 31 January 2022, customers can enjoy 50% off their orders from Sama-Sama Lokal merchants participating in its Kongsi Food with MAE campaign, and up to RM10 off delivery fee, when they spend a minimum of RM20. Customers can also enjoy 28% off their orders and up to RM10 off delivery fee, with a minimum order of RM30 on food & beverage and groceries until 28 February 2022. Additionally, each Sama-Sama Lokal order with a minimum spend of RM30 made from now until 27 February 2022 will be automatically entered into the Chinese New Year FU-ture Fortune campaign for a chance to win 5g of 999.9 Gold, cash prizes, and more.
To find out more about Sama-Sama Lokal or to become a Sama-Sama Lokal merchant, kindly visit https://maybank.my/JoinSamaSamaLokal. To download the MAE app, customers can visit https://maybank.my/MAE or search ‘MAE app’ in the Apple AppStore or Google PlayStore.
