Grab puts 75 Southeast Asian F&B merchants on Times Square Billboard

Grab Editorial

. November 13, 2024 . Regional

Bobby Adan’s small venture selling bananas to his office canteen evolved into a thriving business in the Philippines. He’d taken a leap of faith in 2017, leaving his corporate job to launch his own fruit brand, Prutasan ni Adan. Fast forward to November this year, Adan finds himself in the heart of New York City, gazing up at a massive billboard showcasing his brand on Times Square.

Since its listing on the Nasdaq in 2021, Grab has been using the billboard space at Times Square to feature some of its merchant-partners who serve millions of consumers across Southeast Asia through the Grab app.

This year, Grab showcased 75 of its homegrown F&B merchant-partners, an increase from 53 the previous year.

Elevating local heroes on a global stage

A large number of the six million merchants and partners on Grab are small-to-medium F&B outfits, just like Prutasan ni Adan. In 2023, 67 per cent of total GrabFood and GrabMart GMV was contributed by MSMEs.

These merchants-partners typically don’t have the same marketing and advertising budget as larger players, and would not usually advertise outside their home countries.

MSMEs are at the heart of Southeast Asia’s vast, informal economy. Being featured on the Times Square billboard was an opportunity for them to be recognised as vital representatives of their communities on an international stage.

Among those featured was Vietnam-based pho restaurant Pho Chao.

“Running this small eatery is a way for me to preserve my family’s traditional flavours, and to find joy in bringing delicious dishes characteristic of my hometown Nam Dinh to everyone,” said Pho Chao owner Bui Thi Dung.

Meanwhile, Malaysia-based soy sauce chicken restaurant Nasi Ayam Kee Chup shared that their goal has always been to promote halal food to a broader, global audience

“When we first got the news that we’ll be featured on the Times Square billboard, we were jumping with joy and excitement. We never thought our small-time nasi ayam (chicken rice) restaurant could do so much,” said founders Mohd Fadli bin Mohd Rosli and Haliza Halim.

Keegen Chung, partner and director of Singapore-based DIY sushi and salad chain Maki-San, said: “Being featured on the Nasdaq Times Square billboard is a proud milestone for our brand—we’re going places with Grab! Since joining the platform, we’ve experienced significant growth in online orders, sharing our passion for do-it-yourself sushi with a larger customer base in Singapore. This moment on the Times Square billboard is inspiring, and we’re excited to see where this partnership will take us next.”

Fostering growth and adaptability for Southeast Asia’s MSMEs

Grab helps small businesses thrive by providing key resources and tools for every chapter of their growth once they join the platform.

For instance, they get access to Grab’s easy-to-use marketing tools, to trend insights, training, business advice, and financing—all solutions designed to foster sustainable growth and success for MSMEs.

Janyatorn Binlapat, co-founder of bakery HAAB Thailand said that Grab’s campaigns help businesses promote their products and increase brand visibility.

“These campaigns act as a cost-effective media slot, boosting brand awareness and potentially driving new customer engagement,” Binlapat added.

Beyond driving online sales, merchant-partners can use the app to incentivise customer visits to their offline locations, with features like Dine-Out deals and loyalty programmes.

The merchant app also makes it easier to manage stores and restaurants via its Point of Sale (PoS) solution, for example, by enabling merchants to process digital payments via a QR code from consumers.

Creating value for our merchant-partners generates a positive feedback cycle. Merchants who regularly up their game with new products and offers attract returning consumers. This, in turn, creates more jobs for Grab’s driver-partners and more options for consumers.

From a small nasi ayam store in Malaysia to a traditional pho restaurant in Vietnam, these merchant success stories reflect Grab’s commitment to empowering local businesses across Southeast Asia. By providing the digital tools and platform for MSMEs to expand their reach, Grab proves that with the right support, small businesses can achieve remarkable growth while staying true to their roots—this deserves to be celebrated on no less than a Times Square billboard.

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