With the COVID-19 pandemic causing supermarkets and food vendors alike to adapt to the new circumstances people are living in, innovation and convenience have been required from these establishments to meet the needs of the customer.
Instead of waiting outside in lines to enter a supermarket or trying to secure a delivery on grocery delivery apps, new startups and established companies are seeking newer ways to offer Canadians a fresh alternative on getting groceries.
With current technology and internet services being used daily, these innovations for grocery shopping have been made to get the customer their needs during the pandemic.
Sysco@Home, Food supplier Sysco introduces food delivery to households
Sysco is one of the biggest food distributors in the country, typically distributing food for restaurants and hotels.
They launched a program known as Sysco@Home, which allows them to deliver food products to households.
According to Sysco Canada President Randy White, “The response has been outstanding”.
Grocery Neighbour, The Grocery Truck
Toronto entrepreneur Frank Sinopoli created Grocery Neighbour, a new and innovative way to get grocery shopping on the move and closer to shoppers.
According to the project by Sinopoli, trucks are going to be outfitted with refrigeration units and shelves stocked with products you would expect to see at a farmer’s market but lower prices.
Through a smartphone app, Sinopoli says that users will be notified when the grocery truck is in the neighbourhood of the user so that they can go without waiting.
He plans to have 1,000 trucks across the country by the summer, but there will only be three in Toronto during the initial launch.
Sinopoli believes that this method of shopping will be most beneficial during the lockdown, as convenience is what most customers are looking for during this time.
“Time will always remain the most precious thing we have, and convenience wins most battles”.
Online farmer’s markets
Outdoor farmer’s markets have taken a big hit during this pandemic, as social distancing measures make these businesses more difficult to operate.
Many have had to adapt their business to ensure they can operate and ensure customers can get their goods, so online shopping for produce has ensured purchases can continue.
Businesses like Wild Flight Farm in B.C. have utilized online services like the Kitchener based service known as Local Line to promote their goods online so they can prepare the products customers want to buy for pick up.
“We put photos with all our different vegetables on the website and then promoted it to our customers, so everybody at the market would know about it and start ordering that way instead,” said Wild Flight Farm owner Hermann Burns regarding the online service and how it helped them.
As the pandemic continues, businesses and farmer’s markets are continuing to find ways to use the internet to continue their business and will continue to create convenient methods for their customers to continue shopping.
Written by: Angelo Cruz
This content is also available in: Tiếng Việt
