{"id":270915,"date":"2026-11-04T15:43:50","date_gmt":"2026-11-04T07:43:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.grab.com\/sg\/?post_type=editorial&p=270915"},"modified":"2026-11-04T15:46:09","modified_gmt":"2026-11-04T07:46:09","slug":"grabatlas-helping-beloved-local-brands-expand-across-borders","status":"publish","type":"editorial","link":"https:\/\/www.grab.com\/sg\/inside-grab\/stories\/grabatlas-helping-beloved-local-brands-expand-across-borders\/","title":{"rendered":"GrabAtlas: helping beloved local brands expand across borders"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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BaFang Yunji is a well-known dumpling and noodle soup restaurant chain in Taiwan.<\/p>

It wasn\u2019t available in Southeast Asia\u2014but that changed in October 2026, when BaFang made its first foray into Malaysia by launching some of its mouth-watering products in Jaya Grocer supermarkets across the country.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Supported by GrabAtlas, BaFang launched a retail-ready range of its popular Liang She Han beef soups in Malaysia, exclusively through Jaya Grocer and GrabMart<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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GrabAtlas: market entry with local insights<\/b><\/p>

BaFang\u2019s Southeast Asia entry was supported by GrabAtlas, Grab\u2019s programme for popular F&B brands that are ready to grow beyond their home markets.<\/span>
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<\/span>GrabAtlas advises brands on their expansion strategies. It starts with understanding the brand’s expansion ambition: Which markets is it targeting? Does it aim for a physical store opening, or launching a retail-ready product with local partners?<\/span><\/p>

GrabAtlas then supports this market entry with tailored approaches. This includes helping brands\u2019 identify the best store locations and price points using Grab’s insights; introductions to operational partners; and helping them reach more users via Grab\u2019s marketing and social media channels.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

BaFang\u2019s entry to Southeast Asia<\/b><\/p>

In BaFang\u2019s case, the brand wanted to explore a retail partnership as a lower-risk first-step expansion into Southeast Asia, before considering opening its own stores in the region in the coming years.<\/span><\/p>

Based on these priorities, GrabAtlas connected BaFang with Grab\u2019s Jaya Grocer team in Malaysia to discuss an easy entry point into a retail market. As a result of this collaboration, some of BaFang\u2019s products under the Liang She Han range\u2014beef soups with a range of flavour profiles\u2014are now available in Malaysia for the first time, in a convenient, frozen form, through selected Jaya Grocer supermarkets and on GrabMart.<\/span><\/p>

(Also read: Bringing GrabFood\u2019s favorite flavours to grocery shelves with Jaya Grocer<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>

Different brands, different routes<\/b><\/p>

Following BaFang, GrabAtlas is advising several other Taiwanese brands as they expand into the region. The programme also continues to support Southeast Asian brands who are ready to grow beyond their home countries.<\/span><\/p>

Emily\u2019s Chicken Noodles from Thailand is one example. The well-loved Thai comfort food brand is known for its signature shredded chicken noodles, or Mee Kai Cheek. <\/span>
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<\/span>Targeting Singapore for its first international expansion, Emily\u2019s connected with the GrabAtlas team for support.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

GrabAtlas\u2019s location insights helped Emily\u2019s choose the best store locations, recommending residential areas where there was strong demand density.<\/span><\/p>

The insights and partnership opportunities offered by the GrabAtlas team led to the brand\u2019s Singapore launch in July 2026, with a central kitchen in the Tampines neighborhood, and multiple pop-up locations to sell its beloved Mee Kai Cheek.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The GrabAtlas programme also provided marketing and advertising credits for Emily\u2019s, to help the brand with consumer visibility and improve its reach through GrabFood.<\/p>

Going forward, Emily’s Chicken Noodles is considering a Malaysia launch through Jaya Grocer with some shelf-ready packaged products, such as its Spicy Fried Shallots.<\/p>

Why it matters for local brands<\/h5>

For many local brands with small teams and limited resources, international expansion has traditionally meant taking on significant risk. A strong product and loyal home-market following don\u2019t automatically translate into success elsewhere.<\/p>

GrabAtlas can help ambitious brands take steps into new markets by helping them parse local nuances, preferences and consumer behaviors. This creates an opportunity for homegrown brands to access new customers and grow their business\u2014while more local favourites get the international recognition they deserve.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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