Forgot something in the supermarket and don’t feel like going back? That is no longer a problem, because three start-ups provide home delivery grocery services in no time. Currently, this is only available in Barcelona and Madrid. However, expansion is expected to follow soon.
At the end of 2020, the courier service Glovo initiated this service. This was quickly followed by start-ups Blok, Dija and Gorillas under their motto “Don’t bother, we are coming!” Not only do they claim to serve the convenience of the Spanish consumer, but also to be better for the environment. Because, they believe, if you do your shopping per day, you throw away much less than if you fill a trolley for a whole week.
Together, these companies run a virtual supermarket chain at strategic locations in the city, the so-called dark stores. Blok director Hunab Morena – former manager of Deliveroo Spain – anticipates home delivery grocery service will soon also be active in other Spanish cities. Furthermore, he expects to achieve an annual turnover of around €25million with this expansion.
Delivered within ten minutes
Last week, the German delivery service Gorillas also entered the Spanish market with two virtual supermarkets in Madrid. They too have an ambitious expansion plan for the rest of Spain. This year, Gorillas expects to open more than 50 dark stores in ten different Spanish cities.
Furthermore, Gorillas will also be active in Barcelona from July. Other European countries, including the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, France and England are already ahead of Spain. As part of the service, the order is prepared within two minutes and then delivered to your home within eight minutes. According to Gorillas, the key to success lies in strategic locations in densely populated areas of the city.
Rapid Expansion
Unlike courier services such as Glovo, Deliveroo and Uber Eats, the deliverers are employed by the start-ups. At Blok and Gorillas, the groceries are delivered on electric bicycles. Whereas the British newcomer Dija uses scooters. Blok now employs 40 people, at Gorillas there are 70 and Dija currently employs 100 staff. But the start-ups are expanding their workforce every day. Gorillas expects to have more than 500 employees by the end of this year.
Wide range at normal prices
The dark stores are provided with both fresh and shelf-stable food. Glovo, Dija and Gorillas also supply frozen meat and fish. Glovo even supplies fresh fish in Barcelona. The consumer can choose from a range of between 2,000-3,000 products, which is half the range of a hypermarket. According to the start-ups, only delivery costs are charged and the products themselves are no more expensive than in the regular supermarket.
