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Wet markets to sell their produce online in bid to reduce crowds during coronavirus lockdown

Potential customers will be able to interact with sellers and ask them questions about their products in the comments section of the live stream, just as they would in an actual wet market
UPDATED MAY 4, 2020
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

As people are urged to stay home during the COVID-19 outbreak, several businesses are trying to pivot their sales by taking their respective shops online.

In fact, in Singapore, wet markets are being encouraged to bring their unique shopping experience online to reach potential customers under lockdown, according to The Straits Times. 

The number of coronavirus cases has exceeded 18,000 and all of Singapore is now under a strict lockdown.

In an industry first, six stalls from the popular Tekka Market in the town of Serangoon will be hawking their fresh produce, meats, and vegetables over a Facebook live stream. Potential customers will be able to interact with sellers and ask them questions about their products in the comments section of the live stream, just as they would in an actual wet market.

Spearheaded by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and creative agency BlkJ, the initiative aims to show how small and medium enterprises can reach out to potential customers using innovative and safer ways during the COVID-19 lockdown. 

That said, the initiative could be expanded to include more stalls and markets from other sectors as well depending on the response to the event, which has been dubbed Tekka Online Market, IMDA told The Straits Times.

The brand new approach is part of the authority's "Stay Healthy, Go Digital" campaign, which encourages better connectivity among people and businesses so activities such as shopping or paying bills can be continued even during the so-called "circuit breaker" period.

According to IMDA assistant chief executive Jane Lim, wet markets are an essential part of people's daily lives and common spaces, especially in Singapore.

"Now more than ever, businesses and people have to adjust during the circuit breaker and use digital means to be safer and find new ways of doing things," she told the outlet.
 
"We are happy (to work with partners) to help stallholders learn how to sell online and reach more customers, and encourage customers to buy and pay online. This is part of our continuing efforts to help our society and businesses go digital and find new opportunities in the new normal," Lim added.

If you would like to experience the event yourself, which is scheduled to start at noon on Tuesday (local time), you can click here. According to the report, sales will be conducted using a "First In First Out" approach.

Potential customers will have the option of placing their orders through the comments section of the Facebook Live video, then confirm their details via Facebook messenger, and finally, make payments using an instant funds transfer service called PayNow. What's more? Those spending over $20 will be eligible for free delivery within the island and within a day's time to ensure freshness of the produce.

"We hope to bring the wet market experience online, so with this event people will be able to interact with the sellers in real-time through the Facebook comments section to ask them more about the produce," said Rowena Bhagchandani, chief executive officer of creative agency BlkJ. "Sellers can explain and then show them the items through the live stream video."

According to her, some stall owners may be apprehensive about taking their businesses online as they are so used to running physical stores.

"But through this pilot, we hope to inspire sellers not just from Tekka but also other wet markets, who have been adversely affected by the tightened social distancing measures, to try taking their businesses online," she explained, adding that the stalls that are participating in the event are receiving guidance on how to use digital platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp

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