Talabat launches first quick-commerce-as-a-service (Q-CAAS) store

Food tech platform Talabat officially launched its first quick-commerce-as-a-service (Q-CAAS) in the UAE, a delivery-only store operation management solution.

This came after a six-month trial was successfully completed in partnership with Aswaaq retail

Talabat Mart, Talabat’s own 24/7 grocery hub, has grown rapidly in the UAE. With over 30 Talabat Mart stores across all seven emirates in just two years, Talabat aims to extend its know-how in dark store management to benefit its partners and enhance operational efficiency and customer experience.

Wassim Makarem, senior VP of Q-Commerce at Talabat said: “We are proud to launch Q-CAAS in the region, which allows us to empower retail partners by utilising our technology and expertise to cater to their communities. It is also in line with our commitment as a tech company, to continuously develop products and services that benefit the delivery ecosystem as a whole in the region.”

“Through this newly introduced service, we aim to support vendors in giving customers access to all that matters to them reliably, while allowing them to focus on what they do best through using our innovative technology and capabilities”.

Tatiana Rahal, MD at Talabat UAE added:“By extending our dark-store management know-how to partners, we can now bring these loved brands even closer to the community as they meet the surge in demand for hyperlocal delivery. Our dark store presence in the seven emirates and proven track record with talabat Mart since it launched in 2020, means our partners can rely on our expertise to strategically expand their offerings to new locations while ensuring their customers receive the same level of time efficiency, order trackability and variety.”

Some advantages of Q-CAAS are:

More efficient operations
Q-CAAS allows retail partners to benefit from Talabat’s in-house tech capabilities. This includes industry-leading logistics algorithms, as well as talabat reliable logistics network, and optimised store layout and inventory management systems, allowing them to run their business more efficiently, and provide an enhanced customer experience.

Quick service
A team of skilled and trained employees are able to collect items efficiently from a wide assortment of items available using the Q-CAAS store layout combined with inventory management tech. Order preparation takes less than two minutes to ensure that riders have enough time to complete deliveries within defined delivery zones, delivering in less than 30 minutes on average.

Improved stock accuracy 
Through using advanced store and inventory management tech solutions that provide real-time stock visibility, brands are able to have near 100 per cent stock accuracy and eliminate the need for any modifications of substitutions on orders, providing customers with a smooth online shopping experience.

Operated by Q-CAAS, Aswaaq Retail’s first delivery-only grocery store is located in Al Qusais in Dubai, offering all daily needs and grocery essentials and serving areas including Oud al Muteena, Muhaisnah, Al Garhoud, Al Jaddaf, Al Qusais, Deira, and Al Muraqqabat.

Franck Rouquet, CEO of Aswaaq Retail said: “We are thrilled to announce the launch of our store in the UAE in collaboration with talabat. In 2015, Aswaaq launched a dedicated online shopping platform, to keep up with the emerging market trends of online shopping. This strategic effort yielded favorable results and prompted us to focus, primarily, on migrating to online platforms from the traditional brick-and-mortar store concept. The dark store pilot witnessed positive response, as it catered to the need of the hour and was instrumental in serving the residents adeptly.”

He concluded, “As our trusted online delivery partner for over two years, talabat has enabled us to increase our delivery footprint and brand accessibility while continuing to provide seamless customer experience. Aswaaq plans to further the project and come up with even more dark stores in the UAE. This remains our top priority as we adopt innovative solutions that allow us to serve a larger audience base.”