From The Straits Times    |
Habitat by Honestbee

Photo: Honestbee

Grocery shopping just got an upgrade with the emergence of homegrown online concierge service Honestbee’s brick-and-mortar hub. Habitat by Honestbee marries convenience with interactive gastronomical experiences. 

 

1. You can leave your wallet at home

Photo: Honestbee

Habitat by Honestbee operates on a cashless system. No cold hard cash required. Instead, what you’ll need is your smartphone as a bee pass to get in and out of the supermarket, and for making purchases later on. First order of business – download the Honestbee app. 

 

2. Robots pack your groceries into bags

Photo: Honestbee

Use the Honestbee app for scanning purposes and push the grocery cart into an automated booth. When you are ready to head off, scan your unique QR code at the collection point. This will prompt the robots to deliver your bags to you.

Photo: Honestbee

In a hurry? If you’re buying no more than 10 items, just use your smartphone to scan each item and pay using beePay, Honestbee’s digital wallet on the app. No queuing required. (If this is the future, we’re all for it.)

 

3. There are snacks exclusive to Habitat

Photo: Honestbee

Honestbee stocks 20,000 products, some of which are items exclusive to the outlet. The building doubles as a fulfillment centre for Honestbee’s online orders. Look up and you’ll notice the overhead conveyor belts transporting goods into the packing room for live deliveries.

It’s like Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory but for grocery shoppers. (Coincidentally, there are Roald Dahl artisan chocolate bars by Rococo available on the shelves.)

 

4. There are 15 food and beverage stalls for dine-in and takeaway

Photo: Honestbee

Love bread? Head over to the Lazy Oaf bakery, where you can take away freshly-baked buns and loaves, or toast slices of bread to eat in the cafe corner. There’s a see-through toaster ready for use so that you can control that crispy crust and golden hue.

The other food stalls include Tokyo pancake cafe Riz Labo Kitchen (known for its wobbly souffle pancakes) and Clan (dine here for local roast char siew and meats).

You can also choose from the variety of fresh produce, seafood and meat, and get them grilled by the in-house chefs at Campfire. Plus Honestbee is growing its own hydroponics garden for kitchen use. You too can grow your sprouts here.

 

5. You can participate in workshops

Photo: Honestbee

There will be a series of activities and entertainments taking place to celebrate the new launch. Dabble in pasta-making and shape bread between 3pm and 5pm on Oct 18-21 and Oct 27-28.

Prefer something out of the kitchen? Create your own natural scented candle wax tablets using essential oils and dried flowers in the afternoon on Oct 20.

 

6. The nearest MRT stations are Pasir Panjang and Labrador Park

Photo: Honestbee

Habitat by Honestbee sits next to Mapletree Business City. The Singapore outlet is a first for Honestbee but it’s currently operating in seven other countries and plans to roll out similar concepts in the region. We live in exciting times. 

Address: 34 Boon Leat Terrace; Opening hours: 8am-11pm daily; https://habitat.honestbee.sg/  

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