FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAROUSELL AND UNILEVER LAUNCH #SUPPORTLOCAL INITIATIVE TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES IMPACTED BY COVID-19
In partnership with Unilever Food Solutions, Carousell onboards over 2,500 local hawkers and small F&B businesses onto the online marketplace to aid business operations.
Singapore, 13 Apr 2020 – Carousell, one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing classifieds, today announced the launch of its #SupportLocal campaign, to aid local business owners whose operations have been disrupted by COVID-19. The umbrella initiative aims to support both small food and beverage (F&B) establishments and small and medium enterprise (SME) owners.
With increased social distancing measures being enforced, local F&B owners have seen a plunge in business and need to adapt to keep their businesses afloat. The first phase of the initiative, ‘#SupportLocal F&Bs’, rallies Singaporeans to support the smaller F&B establishments and hawkers in their neighbourhood.
In partnership with Unilever Food Solutions, a key food service supplier with brands such as Knorr, Best Foods and Lipton, Carousell will be onboarding over 2,500 F&B businesses onto the newly created Local F&B category on its platform. The onboarding process will ensure that business owners who have not had prior experience with online operations are still able to list on Carousell for increased visibility. With Carousell listings, F&B owners will be able to provide on-demand takeaway services without having to pay a premium or commission to external vendors, and Carousellers will be able to conveniently and directly support the local F&B establishments near them. Interested F&B outlets may list on Carousell following these simple guidelines: https://www.carousell.sg/p/supportlocal-f-bs-list-on-carousell-286826337/?t-id=_1583983269231&t-referrer_browse_type=categories&t-referrer_category_id=2159&t-referrer_request_id=8WZFYPEbEqUUM7Kr&t-referrer_sort_by=popular&t-tap_index=7
“Many food-stall owners like us are not equipped for delivery services and although the government has provided rental support, our stall does not qualify for the waiver. Right now, we can only work with what we have to reach out to the neighbourhood. We really appreciate Carousell’s initiative to provide a platform for us small local F&Bs. Any visibility during this time is extremely important and we’re banking on local support from those around us,” said Wei Cheng, Second-Generation Business Owner, 亮光海鲜汤 Liang Guang Seafood Soup.
“Carousell has always been a community-driven platform. This is a moment that is unprecedented in our history, where the community plays a critical role in ensuring the survival of businesses and more importantly, livelihoods. Nothing binds our local community together more than their shared love for food, and we have partnered with Unilever Food Solutions, who are experts in the culinary industry, to help our local F&B owners tide through these difficult times. With 1 in 4 Singaporeans using Carousell, we have the unique opportunity to reach out to a sizable portion of the community and provide them with the means to support local businesses,” said Lewis Ng, Chief Commercial Officer, Carousell.
“At Unilever Food Solutions we believe in supporting every food business, big or small. We are happy to collaborate with Carousell to provide our F&B community with an additional option to attract the orders they sorely need. Over the next few days, UFS will deploy full resources to onboard F&B establishments so that more can benefit from this initiative. We will also continue to share Covid-19 response resources on topics such as Food Safety, Delivery, Profit Protection and also Immunity-boosting menus to help businesses adjust to the new normal. It’s a tough time, but the Singaporean F&B community is amazingly resilient. With our Kampong spirit, we can weather any storm. “said Ivan Lu, Managing Director, Malaysia and Singapore, Unilever Food Solutions.
Apart from supporting the F&B industry, Carousell is also aiding local SMEs who have been impacted by COVID-19. In the second phase of the initiative, ‘#SupportLocal Retailers’, Carousell will be providing eligible SMEs with a business grant that entitles them to 3 months worth of premium services on Carousell, including a CarouBiz (Carousell for Business) subscription. The subscription service provides a suite of premium seller tools for retailers to gain more exposure to buyers during this crucial period and expand their business on Carousell.
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