ComfortDelGro’s super-app gambit: Can it succeed?

Years before Grab became the de facto mode of private four-wheeled transport for many commuters in Singapore, it was ComfortDelGro’s signature blue-tone Comfort and yellow Citycab taxis that were synonymous with taxi rides.

Still a household name today, ComfortDelGro (CDG) Group runs the largest taxi fleet in the city-state and has 40,000 vehicles across the UK, Australia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and China.

While the Singapore-headquartered group is perhaps best known for its taxi services, it is a land transport company that also operates bus, rail, car rental, inspection services as well as driving centers. But Zig, a new mobile app centered around “lifestyle and mobility” that launched in March could be an indication of CDG’s changing ambitions.

The term “super app” comes to mind.

Zig is primarily a journey planner – much like Google Maps – that offers route suggestions that help a user get from point A to B. Users can make a booking for a CDG taxi or opt for public transportation.

The new app also features a small but growing range of lifestyle services that include restaurant bookings through partner Chope and activities including bike tours, outdoor adventures, and staycations offered through Klook. Soon, Zig will also introduce a “click-to-collect” takeaway order service at selected restaurants and a loyalty program.

CDG isn’t the first company attempting to supplement their core offerings with other lifestyle services. Since 2018, Singapore-based telecommunications firm Circles Life has been operating Discover, an events app featuring staycation deals, music and art festivals, and movies. It aims to deepen engagement with existing and new customers, but user response has been muted so far.

While companies like Grab have shown that mobility and lifestyle services can complement each other, CDG may face an uphill task standing out from the pack. No less than 10 “everything” apps in Singapore offer an ever-growing array of services from ride bookings and payments to shopping and food delivery.

See more: The front-runners of Southeast Asia’s super-app race

A measured bet

To be clear, Zig appears to be a nascent effort rather than a large-scale pivot.

Zig runs in parallel with CDG’s eponymous taxi-booking app. But as company chairman Lim Jit Poh recently pointed out, the goal is to eventually “marshal all our business activities onto one platform for the convenience of the users and to extend beyond land transport.”

Super-app ambitions?