[ad_1]
SINGAPORE: After running his business in the Tekka market for more than four decades, Mohamed Mustafa Shahul Hamid is a familiar face to those who frequent the market in Little India.
But on Tuesday (May 5), the 62-year-old man turned to Facebook to promote his lamb stall for the first time.
Ad
“I have been doing business here for 45 years,” he told hundreds of online audiences through a live broadcast on the social media platform. “Previously (my father) was running it in the early 1950s and now it is almost 80 years that our business has been established.”
Showing various types of meat on camera, Mustafa and his son took turns explaining how the stall gets its produce from Australia, New Zealand, and even Ireland.
“Good quality. Very nice and tasty,” they said, as they handed out cooking tips from time to time. “Seasoning with salt and pepper will do because it’s very fresh.”
The result was better than they thought, with everything sold in 30 minutes. Mustafa said they raised more than S $ 1,000 in sales.
“The support has been overwhelming,” her son, Nizamdeen, said towards the end of the live broadcast. “We really plan an hour (of) sales, but now it’s half an hour and we’re exhausted.”
“It was a lot of fun,” Mustafa told CNA on Tuesday afternoon, adding that he had dressed especially for his first Facebook Live experience.
“I am very happy and of course I would do this again.”
FROM THE WET MARKET TO THE WEB MARKET
Mustafa was one of five Tekka market stall owners selling items from vegetables to fish from their phones on Tuesday.
Each vendor was given a one-hour slot to broadcast live from Tekka’s online marketplace Facebook page, at an event hosted by Infocomm’s Media Development Authority (IMDA) and creative agency BlkJ.
Customers who wish to place an order can do so by commenting on the live broadcast. Orders will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis.
Once confirmed, customers must send their contact numbers and delivery addresses through Facebook Messenger, and make payment through PayNow. As part of the event, free island-wide delivery is offered to those who spend more than S $ 20.
IMDA said it wanted to show how businesses and consumers can leverage technology to do things in a new and safer way in the midst of the “circuit breaker” period. Wet markets were chosen because they form an “essential part” of people’s daily lives.
“We are excited (to work with our partners) to help sellers learn to sell online and reach more customers, and encourage them to buy and pay online,” said IMDA Deputy Executive Director Jane Lim.
“This is part of our continued efforts to help our society and businesses go digital and find new opportunities in the new normal.”
With his position seeing a 30 percent drop in revenue since the switch rules went into effect, Mustafa said participating in the live stream sale event was a good way to promote his business to a different audience group. .
It is also considering having an online presence, after seeing a drop in dating customers due to the virus outbreak.
“We want to continue operating our business during the COVID-19 period … so we have to think about how we can serve our clients in other ways so that they can continue to meet their daily needs.”
READ: Thinner crowds in 4 wet markets with restricted entry; NEA says IC requirement will apply starting April 24
IMDA told CNA that the live broadcast sessions garnered more than 28,000 views in total, with the highest number of viewers for each live broadcast ranging from 800 to 1,200 people. A second run of the event is scheduled for May 12 at noon.
But with nearly 1,000 people tuning in at the same time, some commented that their questions about the items for sale went unanswered. Some also described the “first-come, first-served” process as “stressful.”
According to the latest updates on Facebook, orders are still being processed and some deliveries may be delayed. The organizers of the event had planned for all deliveries to take place on the same day to ensure the freshness of the products.
However, there were others who thought the event was interesting and praised the booth owners for their efforts.
“You are doing great!” One consumer, after Mr. Victor Chia, the first vendor to go live around noon, said he would learn from the experience and improve during the next live broadcast.
In response to CNA questions about whether the initiative could be expanded to other wet markets and whether IMDA is satisfied with the response on Tuesday, a spokesperson said: “We encourage more store owners to join on May 12. I hope it will serve as inspiration for many more markets around Singapore to try something similar. “
READ: Changing the face of the wet market to attract new customers
SUPPORTED PEOPLE DURING THE CIRCUIT BREAKER
The live stream is also part of IMDA’s efforts to help seniors take advantage of the technology during the switch period, which is in effect until June 1.
For example, a weekly virtual digital clinic will be available from May 15 to July 18 to allow people to book consultation sessions for personalized assistance on mobile applications or phone settings.
IMDA’s Digital Pod Learning series will also offer 40 short online classes on social media usage, coding, photo editing, and other topics starting May 19 twice a week.
Meanwhile, the sales event at Tekka Market aims to make online shopping “more relatable” for seniors, IMDA said in a separate press release.
An older person who tuned in on the live broadcast was 55-year-old Kendra Ong.
“I always buy my fish, fruits and vegetables from a nearby wet market and will try to save time by calling the fishmonger (to order first) so that I can save waiting time. But even then, I still have to go down and pick up my items, ”he told CNA.
READ: “It’s all about trying until our last breath”: New F&B players develop survival plans for the COVID-19 crisis
After trying to buy groceries online, being able to do the same with fresh produce will save time and help older people like her, especially on rainy days, she said.
More importantly, it is “essential” that older people pay attention to call to stay home as much as possible during the COVID-19 outbreak, he noted.
Sadly, Madame Ong said she was unable to secure an order on Tuesday as she was unable to “comment quickly enough.”
She hopes the initiative can be extended to other wet markets in Singapore, but suggested reserving a priority space for older people.
Additional reporting by Nadhir Mokhtar.
CHECK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
