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The Uber of grocery delivery coming to Sydney

Unocart-Time-poor Sydneysiders will be glad to hear about the arrival of a new app which promises grocery delivery from multiple stores in under two hours.

Unocart connects customers with a personal shopper who will deliver the order in under 2 hours. Currently up and running in the greater part of Perth, the service will be coming to Sydney in November.

Inside FMCG spoke to Unocart co-founder Tyler Spooner to find out exactly what we can expect when it lands.

Inside FMCG: Where did you get the idea for Unocart?

Tyler Spooner: The idea for an Uber-like grocery delivery service just made a lot of sense and has seen a lot of success in other parts of the world. With online groceries set to boom in the next 5 years, Australian consumers will want a convenient and fast way to order groceries online. The concept was originally called ‘FeedmeeNOW’ and was an add-on service to our recipe discovery website. But after huge demand from consumers, we decided to rebrand and have it as a stand-alone service.

Inside FMCG: So explain to us how it works!

TS: Unocart lets you order from local grocery stores online, then sends a personal shopper to pick up and deliver your order to you the same day. You can order using our app or website, our shoppers hand-pick only the freshest groceries and deliver to your door in as little as 2 hours.

Inside FMCG: What happens if you order something that’s not available?

TS: If the substitutions are not available, the shopper can easily decide based on other suggestions from your previous purchases. The personal shopper will then text you to confirm all substitutions before checking out.

Inside FMCG: What about picking produce in terms of ripeness?

TS: The shoppers are extensively trained on picking produce. When you place your order, you can note what term of ripeness you want for each item, whether you want green bananas that will last you all week or you want ripe ones to bake banana bread.

Inside FMCG: Is it the same concept as Uber in terms of drivers?

TS: Yes, similar to Uber our shoppers are independent contractors and are able to set their own schedule, take time off, or work extra when it suits. Unocart thoroughly vets Shoppers by conducting in-depth interviews, records, performing background checks and online training.

Inside FMCG: What makes Unocart different from a supermarket home delivery?

TS: Convenient delivery time in as little as 2 hours. Quality and handpicked produce by your own personal shopper with live communications for substitutes of out of stock items. Multiple store shopping in one order i.e Coles and Woolworth’s weekly specials in one shop.

Inside FMCG: Is the service exclusive to certain stores?

TS: We support popular stores in each city where we offer delivery. While we source groceries from local stores, Unocart’s services are not affiliated with the individual stores or is it exclusive to stores. Currently, we only offer Coles, Woolworths and Aldi but are always happy to work with smaller local supermarkets as well.

Inside FMCG: What’s been the reaction from customers so far?

TS: Reactions have been great and we have seen 258 per cent growth in the last 6 months with customers really loving the convenience, the saving from multiple stores and the freshness of the produce.

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