About

Q. What is the best way to consume leftover food wisely? Q. What is the best way to buy food at a reasonable price?

‘Webeing’ was a B2B2C food e-commerce platform service to buy and sell leftover food that was close to its expiration date, and other stock items, at low prices, especially fruit and small dishes. We encouraged customers to join our environmental activities.

• Our mission was to reduce the problems of excessive food waste in restaurants through environmental activities.
• We helped the owners of small businesses sell leftover food close to the expiration date or repurpose unsold stock items to sell them. Customers could buy food at a discounted price with high satisfaction.
• We were an ESG-driven startup committed to environmental sustainability, and offered features such as personal environmental accounts, eco-friendly goods, and community-based crowdfunding to encourage responsible consumption.

Problem

• South Korea generates over 5.5 million tons of food waste annually, resulting in an economic loss of over ₩22 trillion (~$16 billion). This is mostly caused by group dining (회식) culture and drinking culture near colleges, and in downtown areas.
• Single-person households are on the rise, and the market scale of small-portion convenience meals, including eating and drinking alone, is increasing.
• The rate of consumption has changed diversely since COVID-19, as people have experienced and become reliant on online food delivery services.

Market & User Research

• Initially, we targeted a specific area, Wirye New Town, Seongnam City (성남 위례신도시), for analysis and development of our market.
• We compiled a list of 50+ restaurant owners and sold our product to them as our customers.
• We conducted qualitative and quantitative customer interviews with over 300 local citizens in Wirye New Town.