Miss shopping in JB? New online store delivers groceries across the Causeway

It's undeniable that Singaporeans really miss Johor Bahru. We've even found ways to satisfy our cravings for Malaysian street food — stalls that sell lok lok and Ramly Burgers have been springing up across our little red dot.

However, one activity that is hard to replicate is the freedom of popping over to JB to stock up on groceries and necessities. For many, this was a monthly — or even weekly — routine because of the cheaper options there.

Fortunately, a new JB-based e-commerce platform has come to the rescue of local bargain hunters.

BuyJB , which appears to have been launched just a few days ago, allows you to purchase groceries from JB and have it delivered to Singapore within three to four working days. The best part? The groceries are generally cheaper than what you'd find in most Singapore stores.

All prices on their website are conveniently stated in SGD so you don't have to do the math.

Do note that BuyJB only accepts payments in SGD via PayNow and only delivers within Singapore.

A quick scan of their site shows quite a decent selection of necessities that are neatly sorted out into categories such as Baby Essentials, Canned Food and Pharmacy.

We were curious to see if their prices were indeed cheaper than what you would find in a Singapore supermarket, so we did a little price comparison test.

A bottle of Extra Virgin Organic Olive Oil from Naturel can be found on Giant's website for $13.79 and is currently on sale for $12.50.

On the BuyJB's site, the same bottle of olive oil is going for $11.90, which is still cheaper than the discounted price offered by Giant.

A bundle packet of Maggi BIG Curry Flavour costs $2.95 at Giant.

The same instant noodles are sold for $2.50 on BuyJB.

A can of Ayam Brand Sardines in Tomato sauce costs $3.95 at with NTUC FairPrice and is $3.32 on BuyJB.

The verdict? BuyJB's prices are indeed slightly lower than our local supermarkets. 

BuyJB also carries a number of products which can only be found in Malaysia such as Adad Ikan Kering Sepat — a type of dried fish — which is going for $1.90.

You can also watch out for updates on their Facebook page to find out which products are on sale.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/BuyJBYourNewCauseway/posts/107596408052138[/embed]

While it is tempting to immediately start adding everything to cart, do note that a downside to shopping on BuyJB is the steep shipping price of $20. This may be an issue if you're just getting things for yourself but if you're intending to shop for the family or split with a friend then it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

melissateo@asiaone.com