SukiGrocer: Championing Locally Grown Produce in the Philippines

Since its establishment in 2022, SukiGrocer has taken great pride in being able to provide fresh, locally sourced produce to consumers in the Philippines.

“We wanted to create a direct pathway between our farmers and suppliers and our customers so that everyone in the ecosystem is benefited. We are able to uplift the livelihoods of farmers, but at the same time, the average Filipino also pays less for the food they’re consuming,” said Pavan Powar, strategy director of SukiGrocer’s investor relations and marketplace division.

Proudly Grown in the Philippines

With a vertically integrated supply chain pioneered by SariSuki, an agritech company founded by former Grab executive Brian Cu, SukiGrocer is able to source fresh produce directly from local farmers. Aside from ensuring the best price for all parties and reducing wastage and quality-loss by optimizing the last-mile fulfilment process, this business model also allows the SukiGrocer team to really get to know and champion local producers.

“There is infinite opportunity to add value to the agricultural scene in the Philippines. We would like to use information and technology to positively impact this high-potential sector,” Cu said.

“As part of knowing where our products come from, the SukiGrocer team visits the farms once or twice every six months. This gives us an understanding of the challenges that our farmers face. It gives us a perspective of why what we are doing is important,” Powar explained. “When you’re buying from us, you’re helping local farmers put their kids through schooling, put their kids through university. You’re helping the local ecosystem thrive,” Powar added. “Buying locally is always going to help the ecosystem. It’s going help people to grow, to achieve their dreams.”

Transforming the Grocery Experience

Over the course of the past two years, SukiGrocer has made ample efforts to normalize online grocery shopping for the average Filipino consumer and has made it easier for them to shop for all their grocery needs, from rice and meats to fruits and vegetables, from the comfort of their homes.

“As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day. It took us some time for customers to put their trust in us and make their first transaction,” Powar said, explaining many consumers’ initial hesitation toward buying groceries the digital way. To overcome this hurdle, the SukiGrocer team invested heavily in creating a safe, convenient and trustworthy shopping experience for customers. For example, aside from selling a wide range of fresh produce and other grocery essentials at incredible prices, the company offers free next-day deliveries to customers in Metro Manila as an added incentive. Operating on a policy that always puts customers first, the team also offers strong after-sales support and a streamlined refunds and replacements process in case orders don’t meet customers’ expectations.

Thanks to these measures, SukiGrocer has managed to win over swathes of customers, achieving a 4.9 rating on Lazada and more than 85,000 store followers and counting. And as its reputation has grown, so has its sales.

“Early last year, we were able to get into a significantly large revenue stream coming through building our business on Lazada,” Powar said. “We’ve ramped up really well, and I think the potential to grow our business is there. The scale we can achieve is truly tremendous.”

Growing with the Power of ECommerce

Throughout SukiGrocer’s journey to revolutionize grocery shopping, Lazada has been an indispensable partner. “When we started, we started with Lazada and its competitive brand, but we realized it was much easier and faster to set up our store and list our products on Lazada,” Powar said, explaining that the team was able to receive its first order less than 21 days after registering on the eCommerce platform.

Since then, Lazada has continued to offer various tools and resources to help SukiGrocer reach new heights. For example, the platform recently introduced the SukiGrocer team to its dedicated Key Account Manager (KAM), who has been providing insights that have led to significant growth across various metrics.

“Our KAM has been instrumental in coming to us, doing business reviews with us, telling us where we are, letting us know how large, potentially, our business can be. He’s gone further to tell us where we are doing well and where we can improve, helping us tick the boxes which we weren’t ticking,” Powar explained. “A lot of these things have played a pivotal role for us. I think the more important bit, which is something I appreciate a lot, is the fact that he’s very responsive and very helpful whenever anyone within our team needs help or reaches out to him. So, we really appreciate all the support that our KAM and the Lazada team have been providing.”

Bolstered by Lazada’s digital ecosystem, SukiGrocer aims to continue its mission of providing affordable products to Filipino consumers while having a positive impact on the livelihoods of local farmers.