ShopWings launches online supermarket for Sydney

THREE MONTHS after launching its online supermarket shopping and delivery service in Germany, on Australia Day ShopWings launched its Sydney operations.

ShopWings uses an online ordering system then delivers everyday products from local grocery stores to the customer’s doorstep within two hours. Users select a favourite supermarket – including Aldi, Coles and Harris Farm – nominate groceries on the ShopWings website, the goods are gathered by ShopWings’ personal shoppers, and the items arrive two hours after the order is placed. Customers can also nominate a later one-hour delivery window for convenience. 

“We believe a lot of people are busy and seek modern solutions that save them time,” ShopWings Australia co-founder and managing director, Manutea Dupont said.

“ShopWings was founded to replace the hassle of traditional shopping with an innovative alternative, so our customers can get what they need from their favourite stores, when they need it without having to go to the supermarket themselves.

“Australians spend 2.5 hours per week on grocery shopping, that’s almost an entire week spent every year in a shop. Think about all the great things they could do with this time.

“It therefore seems obvious to us that with the right service online shopping will expand a lot in the next few years.”

The innovation of ShopWings is bringing the human element in to online shopping.

Mr Dupont said ShopWings addressed an emerging need and was establishing a new culture of online grocery shopping.

“We are convinced that customers want the internet to be more personal,” Mr Dupont said.

He said a report from IBISWorld showed the online grocery sales industry had not yet reached the scale of the online retailing sector over the past few years – but it was one of the online sectors expected to grow the fastest. The industry revenues are expected to grow by more than 15 percent a year per annum in the coming years as the use of virtual grocery stores becomes more common.

He said overcoming the lack of the emotional component in online shopping would have a strong positive  impact on customer attraction and retention. ShopWings’ personal shoppers fill this void and create the human link.

“We are very proud that Australia is the first country ShopWings is expanding into,” Mr Dupont said.

“Australia is a modern and innovation-hungry country. Sydney in particular is a fast-paced city full of busy people, who are all looking for innovative ways to make their lives easier.

“We’re not the first in the online grocery delivery space but we are the first ones to do it well: you can now shop online from your favourite supermarkets that didn’t have the same-day delivery option before and you don’t need to wait at home all day with our one hour delivery windows.

“Our team doesn’t only deliver everyday goods, it provides our customers with more time for other important things in their lives.”

The technological system behind ShopWings is innovative. A customer completes a virtual shopping cart and places an order, choosing the delivery time. Based on the customer’s chosen delivery time slot and address, an algorithm determines the most suitable personal shopper to carry out the order.

The first delivery is free and costs $8.90 afterwards. Customers pay online via commonly accepted payment methods.

ShopWings was launched by five founders in Munich, Germany, in October last year and is led in Australia by Manutea Dupont and Guillaume Ang. Within a month, ShopWings expanded to Berlin and is set to expand to other cities and countries.

ShopWings is part of the Rocket Internet platform, which is aiming to be the world’s largest Internet platform outside the US and China and has assisted dozens of online concepts through to business success.

Rocket Internet is best known in Europe for its successful online brands including HelloFresh, Home 24, Jumia and Westwing Home and Living. It has worked with The Iconic, Groupon International and eDarling to build successful international internet companies.

www.shopwings.com.au

 

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