WHEN Adirect Singapore set up meatlovers.com.sg in 2015 to sell wagyu beef directly to consumers, it received less than 10 orders a month.

At the time, the company was doing well in its business-to-business segment, supplying premium meats to fine-dining restaurants. There was no pressing urgency to have an e-commerce channel; none of its competitors had one.

Still, when chief executive officer Jackie Goh joined in 2018, he dedicated more resources to the online platform because he believed in the potential of e-commerce.