Fast and curious: why quick commerce is going downhill in SEA

[Read from your browser]( Daily Newsletter Welcome to Tech in Asia's free Daily Newsletter! Get full access to our subscribers-only Daily Newsletter and other insightful analysis on the big and messy topics of Asia’s tech and startup community by [registering here](.  --------------------------------------------------------------- IN FOCUS In today's newsletter, we spotlight: - [Quick commerce’s downward turn in Southeast Asia]( - The hidden alliances between the region's VCs --------------------------------------------------------------- Hello {NAME} Those of us who live in Singapore (and perhaps the rest of Southeast Asia) probably remember the bubble tea craze and how it unfolded over the years. If I remember correctly, there were about three phases that came and went until the trend became something more permanent. The first wave consisted mostly of neighborhood businesses that sold simple things like blended ice drinks with a scoop of pearls. Big brands including the likes of Koi and Gong Cha cropped up during the second wave. They usually had several branches to their name, and many of the outlets were in shopping malls. The drinks felt a bit more “premium,” but that also meant they were a tad more expensive. Neighborhood bubble tea shops still existed, but they weren’t as popular as they used to be. In recent years, it seems like the trend has shifted to almost exclusively brand names, and there are even more of them now. While the overall increase in quality is great taste-wise, I do miss having a significantly cheaper option that’s readily available. But that’s business: What’s hot right now may not necessarily be true years or even just a few months later. Sometimes, the trend changes slightly, while other times it could just disappear entirely. Today’s story delves into quick commerce in Southeast Asia and whether it’s poised to go down the latter path. -- Jonathan  ---------------------------------------------------------------  THE BIG STORY [Charting the swift downturn of SEA’s quick commerce space]( Unlike in India, quick commerce in Southeast Asia continues to lose popularity and has seen players shut down or pivot. ---------------------------------------------------------------  VISUAL STORY OF THE DAY [The hidden alliances between Southeast Asia’s VCs, uncovered]( We've visualized an intricate web of relationships among Southeast Asia’s VCs, using deal data in the past two years. --------------------------------------------------------------- TECH IN ASIA’S FOUNDERS MEETUP: MALAYSIA ON JULY 25 Your next big break? Yeah, it's probably here We're talking rubbing shoulders with top VCs, locking down game-changing partnerships, and turning "what if" into "we did it." 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[Snatch the 60% discount while it lasts!]( ---------------------------------------------------------------  WHO'S HIRING You can post a job [here]( or search for jobs [here](. - [IT Product Manager]( at PT Allo Bank Indonesia Tbk Jakarta, Indonesia - [Commerce Specialist]( at Little Joy Indonesia Jakarta, Indonesia - [Business Development (Remittance & Spend Management)]( at Pintar Ventura Group Jakarta, Indonesia - [Product Marketing Intern]( at Mekari Jakarta, Indonesia - [Backend Engineer (Image Processing)]( at Scout.inc Indonesia Bulk Terminal, Indonesia - [Staff Akunting (Nusawara Artha Internasional)]( at KitaLulus Jakarta, Indonesia [ADVERTISE]( | [SUBSCRIBE]( P.S. Don't miss out on the biggest tech news and analysis. Add newsletter@techinasia.com to your address book, contacts, or safe sender list. Or simply move us into your inbox. Tech in Asia thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Too many emails? 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