Alcohol-focused delivery service GetIt on maintaining “attractive prices”

SINGAPORE – Did you know that Changi Recommends has an alcohol-focused spin-off service called GetIt? Born amidst the uncertainties of the current economic landscape, GetIt by Changi Recommends recently crossed its 100,000 orders milestone within its first year of operation.

Seeing a strong demand from the local alcohol market segment, GetIt, which first begun as a grocery delivery service, stepped in to fill the gap. The service quickly became one of Singapore’s largest online alcohol delivery retailers. Yahoo Lifestyle SEA spoke with the General Manager of Changi Travel Services, Mr Ng Yan Sheng, to know more about the beginnings of the service, how they managed to keep the alcohol price low, and the future of the service.

“We noticed the strong demand for alcohol as a sub-category of groceries, and they gradually emerged as our bestsellers. Eventually, we decided to focus our resources and home in on alcohol to give our customers the best prices, selection and experience that we can offer,” Ng shared.

First operating as a grocery delivery service when COVID-19 panic buying caused a lack of delivery slots at supermarkets in Singapore, GetIt expanded into other categories such as beauty, electronics and alcohol before becoming an alcohol-focused delivery service. “We currently have a selection of over 1,000 alcohol products available on GetIt,” Ng shared, “with a range spanning the more luxurious picks such as rare whiskies to the pocket-friendly like beer bundle deals.”

With alcohol prices “up to 50 per cent off more attractively priced than its industry rivals”, we were curious on how GetIt could score such deals.

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Being an offshoot of Changi Recommends, Ng let on that for the service to get “authentic alcohol at attractive prices for our customers; we work exclusively with the alcohol brands themselves, or the authorised distributors of brands if they do not have a presence in Singapore.” The service also strives to “constantly review GetIt’s business model” to bring more savings to their customers.

With an average of nearly 275 orders a day, providing their customers with “one of the fastest turnaround times” is one of the ways GetIt remains competitive in the saturated delivery sector.

Customers have feedbacked that the service’s free next-day delivery was one of the reasons why GetIt was their choice when it comes to alcohol delivery. “What customers have also told us (sic) they really like is our free next-day delivery service, as well as same-day and express delivery service for a small fee,” Ng said.

“This is especially so if they have an upcoming gathering or event and do not have the chance to head out to the stores to make their purchase.”

Would underage drinkers abuse an alcohol-delivery service by making it easy and quick for connoisseurs to get their hands on premium alcohol?

“In line with guidelines for all age-restricted content, GetIt has in place an age-gate, or age verification system, which requires customers to acknowledge that they are of legal age before proceeding. Aside from that, GetIt also adheres to the alcohol guidelines stipulated by the Singapore Code of Advertising Practices (SCAP) by the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS), which restricts targeting minors in any alcohol-related advertisements,” the General Manager shared.

On top of these government guidelines, GetIt also does their due diligence, with trained staff “to spot illegitimate orders, including underaged buyers.” Their fleet of delivery personnel also “verify a recipient’s age through personal identification documents before handing over the purchased alcohol.”

Priding itself as a service that “ensures authenticity by sourcing only from established brands directly”, this is reflected in the service’s bestsellers, dominated by premium whiskeys. GetIt promises “authenticity and quality, and our customers have come to trust us to fulfil both of those.”

Indeed, in an industry where grey products occasionally finding their way to unsuspecting buyers, assuring customers of the alcohol’s authenticity will go a long way in developing a loyal relationship. But, with the pandemic revolutionising the retail and e-commerce landscape, we wonder what GetIt has in its plans to stay on top, especially with the reopening of malls in recent months.

Recognising that customers are looking for an omnichannel experience, allowing them “the flexibility of price comparisons online, as well the ability to touch and feel the product,” GetIt has recently opened two physical stores to cater to their customers, elevating their purchase experience. “While GetIt started as an e-retail store, we have recently opened two shops at Somerset 313 and Jem shopping centres to cater to those who prefer to speak to someone and learn more about their liquor before they make their purchases,” Ng said.

“We hope that our stores will serve as a touchpoint for customers to not only check out our selection, but also for us to interact with them on a more personal basis so that we can better cater to their needs,” Ng shared.