Singaporean food-delivery platform Foodpanda has launched a logistics-as-a-service solution targeting businesses, using its community of more than 12,000 riders.

Businesses requiring package-delivery services are now able to request a rider via a Pandago account on a pay-per-use basis, whether or not they are currently a Foodpanda customer. The service’s delivery fees are distance-based, charged over a base fee of SGD6 (US$4.39).

The service builds on the rising demand for delivery within the territory, allowing businesses to request drivers to immediately deliver orders from their e-commerce channels and answering customer expectations for the most convenient possible shopping experience. The service also allows a real-time tracking feature.

“Fast and reliable deliveries are becoming a must in today’s ‘convenience economy’ or quick commerce (q-commerce) economy,” stated material released by the firm. “The availability of on-demand delivery has universalised expectations of being able to get purchases delivered in real-time, and businesses that are not able to offer such services will see themselves losing out to those who can.”

Pandago charges neither onboarding nor commission fees, and can perform as an “emergency” solution for businesses with existing delivery capacities during a surge in demand.

“Q-commerce is the natural evolution of e-commerce,” said Foodpanda Singapore MD Luc Andreani. “We are acutely aware of the challenges that come with on-demand deliveries, especially for smaller businesses. The launch of pandago aims to solve exactly these challenges, so that businesses can focus on what they do best.”