MoNo

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

No. I don\'t have the time and the transport to do so.

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Never

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

Might not. I am worried of buying food that are spoilt.

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

Yes, but ideally more distribution points to be set up. its cheap but need to sell in bundles to further incentivise collection

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Never

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

maybe. probably more towards canned food. blemished fresh food e.g. bananas, maybe not

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

If the distribution point is farther than a nearby grocery store then no, because I can get fresher items at the grocery store.

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Never

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

Yes, if the price is cheaper because the food is still edible

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

Yes, might not be entirely inedible

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Never

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

Depends, if finances are tight

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

Yes if it is not too out of the way. I usually buy small amount of groceries that will be consumed within the next few days, shelf life is not an issue for me.

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Never

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

Yes. I usually buy groceries I expect to consume in the next 2-3 days, so short expiry is not an issue for me.

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

No it\'s inconvenient

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Never

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

Yes if I wanted to eat it within the expiry date

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

Yes, provided that marked-down groceries are not of sub-par standard

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Never

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

Yes for short expiry food (e.g. dried food biscuits/cookies past their expiry). No for wet food (e.g. milk/soy milk may turn sour after expiry), or rotten food.

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

I might if it’s convenient for me. But I would still be concerned about the hygiene part

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Never

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

If I am assured that it is safe and if it’s significantly cheaper than the supermarket ones

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

travelling time and cost

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Never

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

Yes. If I require the ingredient and will be consuming within a short time trsne

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

No. To far.

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Never

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

No. My mom usually buy things to store, so she needs those that still can be kept.

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

I would if it is convenient.

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Few times a week

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

I would, because why waste food when they can still be eaten?

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

no, not worth the marked-down price

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Never

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

it depends on the food, and usually the groceries are already planned so it is difficult to suddenly buy more

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

Yes, but it depends. If I am travelling on foot or taking public transport, it would be preferable if the centre were to be nearer to where I live. If it were quite a distance away, I would compromise by buying in bulk and taking either a car or taxi there so as to cut down on the number of trips taken.

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Never

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

Drawing back to the previous question on commuting, if I were able to make short, convenient trips to pick up the food, I would not mind buying such foods as I could consume them quickly when bought in small quantities and consistently return to replenish my food stock the next day.

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

for the experience

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Once a month

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

yes, if i am confident that i can finish it without wasting money

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

Possibly, if it were close enough

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Never

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

Yes, knowing what I am buying into helps me make the decision

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

Yes, if it is conveniently nearby. If not no, as I prioritize convenience.

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Once a week

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

Yes! I go through groceries relatively fast.

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

Yes, if the locations are near work, school or home location

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Never

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

Yes, usually if it’s items like fruits, they can be eaten quite fast at home like bananas, apples etc. Even if certain part of the fruit is a little blemished, can just be removed or sliced off to consume the rest

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

If the distribution point or wholesale centre is within the area (e.g. maybe within 5 MRT stops), would definitely consider getting marked-down groceries. Would consider the timings these wholesale centre/distribution points are open as well!

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Never

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

I would consider them when planning for meal preparations within the next 1-3 days / needed last minute groceries or food. Not entirely particular about the looks when they\'re still edible.

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

No, the location may be inconvenient

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Never

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

Yes as long as it\'s not spoilt

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

Yes! I believe in reducing food waste

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Never

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

Yes. I only buy food I plan to use immediately anyway.

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

No because it’s crowded, goods are heavy and may not be in good condition.

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Once a week

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

Yea depending on type of food. If it’s dry products yes, no to dairy and fresh produce like meat, milk, cheeses unless quality is assured. Fruits and vegetables yes, if I can cut away the rotten parts and it’s not a substantial size of the product.

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

If its\' near my house and convenient to me. If it\'s too far (>15mins), I will just go to the nearest supermarket.

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Once a month

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

Yes if I intend to use it to cook, or I am craving it.

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

Yes, I would. But only if there is such a centre in my larger living area, i.e. one in the East. The savings from the marked down prices would make up for the commute and also it is in a way helping to cut down on potential waste.

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Never

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

Yes, I always do. Especially if it\'s a last-minute ingredient that I am picking up for a dish I\'m cooking immediately. There\'s nothing wrong with the food anyway.

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

Oh hell yes. Especially cup noodles

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Once a month,Never

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

Depends. For fruits you can cut out the blemish and eat the rest.

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

Depends. If it is too far, it may not make sense.

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Never

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

Yes. If i need the product urgently and I see myself using it soon, i will.

In response to "Would you travel to a wholesale centre or distribution point to collect marked-down groceries? Why?"

It depends if it\'s near my home

In response to "How often do you participate in group buys?"

Never

In response to "Would you buy blemished, reduced to clear food or food with short expiry? Why?"

Usually not. We usually store food for some time so we prefer them to be fresher

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Transparency of food product and proper labelling can intro the food items with damage that are still in excellent condition to consumers. Education is needed for acceptance of such products to consumers.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Yes, but ideally more distribution points to be set up. its cheap but need to sell in bundles to further incentivise collection

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

If the discount can be applied with no minimum purchase then the products would be more appealing.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Increase the number of areas where these foods are available, especially in areas where lower income households / people in need are more populated as this will increase accessibility (chances are low income household may not have the luxury of time to travel further for reduced product). This will help feed them better too.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Good concept. Useful to consider some implementation challenges (1) ensure minimum quality of food; (2) can telegram chat be used (e.g. Beng’s Flowers) then no need for app development or middlemen processing by the team which would incur cost; (3) pilot a group buy to lower income estates since these may be the families in need of discounted food, and waive delivery charges. For a start, would it be useful to speak to suppliers to find out (1) what is the industry practice when it comes to handling short expiry /oversupply issues; (2) how often do such problems occur? All the best!

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

It’s A Great initiative to tackle food wastage! For this project I am sure y’all know that raising awareness and changing people’s mindset is the most important thing. So utilise any and all social media platforms and also conduct seminars with maybe hands-on activities and stuff to really get the message out there. You guys can start with schools and maybe work out from there. I think that students will be more willing to listen and act and it will be cost y’all close to nothing as well

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Consider how wholesale shops will be motivated to participate as most of them are less tech savvy

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Good app. Though there are platforms doing this already, it\'s always nice to have some competition to get the best deals.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

maybe need to find avenues to engage the demographic that is buying groceries and may not be tech-savvy

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

From my own observation, a large number of grocery consumers consist of the older generation. For the sake of inclusivity, it would be best if you could find a way to get the elderly onto such this digital platform. That way, you would have a higher number of consumers willing to purchase the rejected foods, thus reducing food wastage.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

can develop something similar to OLIO App - where there are things given for free (due to short expiry) or sold at competitive prices.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

I think the main difficulty here is scaling up - I believe supermarkets are already marking down items to clear, and other platforms based on this entire premise have already been created. If you could bring it to scale, that might be where the money\'s at

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Great concept! I believe an addition of collection points over Singapore, eg: each town, would increase the usage of the app and reach. With Singaporeans being largely concerned about convenience, pick up points near transport nodes like MRTs will help with ease of pick up. About the concern of freshness of food, your app could possibly list when the food was decidedly entered in stock! This could alleviate some worries of being too “old” .

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

I think this is a great idea since those who are alright with purchasing ‘slightly less perfect looking’ but completely edible food can benefit. Maybe your project can partner with organisations like Olio or local ones as well so that the audience of those who know MoNo is larger. You could also try your luck at reaching out to neighbourhood fruit stores for example to see if they are interested to buy the surplus as then you can reach out to more people further in the neighbourhood (those who cannot go to distribution points etc) - Singi Das, singi.das.7@gmail.com

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Love the clarity of the prototype! Perhaps a point to add in the prototype/proposal could be the opening hours of these distribution points/wholesale centres, or if MoNo-in-house deliveries are available 24/7 etc - I think it could help consumers visualise better! Also, there is/used to be telegram groups going around on campuses for extra food from camps/events (e.g. NTU free food), I feel like this could be a possible addition to the app - giving out free food or selling them at a low price since the food would be usually spoiled soon.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

It\'s a good idea, though team can think about how to ensure the quality of the food uploaded. A negative experience may deter clients from returning.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Really love this idea. Right now there are several groups in Singapore doing food rescue/selling \'ugly\' food (e.g. UglyFood)/selling leftover cooked food at a discount (Just Dabao). I love the normalising of this. I think it would be helpful if your project highlighted food safety and also exposed the expiry date conspiracy.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Think about quality control - how to ensure wholesalers or suppliers do not use the opportunity to sell rotten or expired food. Consider options for delivery and rating of supplier so that people can view feedback first and make informed decisions before buying. Especially for fresh produce, the actual pictures should be advertised for people to make informed decisions especially since the model is on short expiry or rejected products. E.g. a blackened fruit may be acceptable to some, but not all people. What you see is what you get should be put in place to reduce misaligned expectations.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

1. Perhaps you guys can showcase the wholesalers\' brands on the home page, as well-known brands equals to credibility and people may be more incentivised to purchase. 2. Publicity is important, perhaps can collaborate with GrabFood/ FoodPanda to promote your app, or promote on social media. A first-time use discount is also attractive too. 3. I think it\'s important to highlight the expiry dates and (any) blemishes of the food too, and if the food is expiring today/tomorrow there can be more discounts. I would try out the app once its launched. Looking forward to it!

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Ignore if you already have this as a user feature: include the reason for rejection in the product description so that users can make better choices, e.g. there are 6-7 days left versus there are 3-4 days left on these bananas, will help me make faster decisions, instead of checking with customer service or the distributors.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

Fruits are so Under-utilised after a flaw appears, although it’s perfectly alright to consume. Your products can go RETAIL in Small portions (minus all the rotten parts Ofcourse), cuz the families in HDB tend to consume smaller . They would prefer 1/4 of a watermelon instead. U guys should match supermarket display somehow (buyers satisfaction) Wholesale is much less of a hassle and seems plausible, providing to smaller stores . But if you want to expand definitely consider Retail Retail includes fruit stalls,fresh fruit drinks, fresh fruit deserts , and more For other food items you can go wholesale! Breads can also recycled!!! App should Include Some sort of Rewards. A lot of possibilities!All the best for your project.

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

How to make sure the food is not spoilt? Will it go through stringent inspections?

In response to "How Can We Improve?"

I think your prototype is very well thought out! Though I\'m a little unclear on how it works..