apps taking over New York City
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM |OCT. 22 - OCT. 28, 2021 17
Yorkers need exactly when
they need them.”
The company made its first
foray in the city in May, Dimini
said, making deliveries
in Bushwick and Downtown
Brooklyn. It has expanded
rapidly in the following five
months, operating more than
11 warehouses citywide and
delivering to wide swaths of
Manhattan, Long Island City,
and Williamsburg, with plans
to open more in the coming
weeks — including one in
Prospect Lefferts Gardens on
Oct. 30.
“Each Gorillas warehouse
is strategically located to target
a specific neighborhood,
reaching a dense population,”
he said. “We only place a warehouse
if we feel fully confident
that we can deliver to the specified
radius on time. That said,
larger neighborhoods have
two warehouses if necessary,
and customers must physically
be within range of one at the
time of ordering.”
When setting out for expansion,
JOKR used a tool
that broke down “the whole
world” by population density
and food and drink consumption,
Trerotola said, then
picked out the most attractive
markets. High population
density is critical for their
business model since each
hub delivers to such a small
area.
“We largely are targeting
young adults to young families,
I would say ages 23-40,”
Trerotola said. “People who, at
some point, need convenience
and speed in their life. Anything
from families who are
busy and don’t have the time
to cook for their children to
the young professional who is
trying to put together a recipe
and doesn’t have the time to go
grocery shopping for that last
minute ingredient.”
Dimini said Gorillas endeavors
to tap into local knowledge
to familiarize themselves
with a city and begin community
engagement.
“This process entails
thorough research into each
neighborhood we enter, from
as broad as the customer
demographic to as specific
as the busiest intersection
in the neighborhood, all for
the purpose of offering an
assortment of groceries that
reflect the specific needs of a
community.”
Business models
If the expansion of Fridge
No More, which started operations
in Brooklyn just a year
ago, is any indication, shoppers
won’t have to wait long
before they have their pick of
delivery apps.
The app, which raised
more than $15 million in funding
last April, now delivers to
nearly all of Manhattan, from
143rd Street to Thames Street,
as well as Long Island City,
Astoria, and Brooklyn neighborhoods
from Greenpoint to
Prospect Lefferts Gardens.
Both apps also carry
products from much-loved
local businesses. Customers
buying groceries from JOKR
can add Flatbush-based Justin’s
Nut Butter to their cart,
and Gorillas offers meat and
charcuterie from Brooklyn
Cured.
Neither app has a minimum
purchase threshold and
JOKR doesn’t charge a delivery
fee. Gorillas’ is nominal,
at just $1.80 per order.
Trerotola said JOKR’s
prices are comparable to a traditional
grocery store, if not a
little bit lower.
JOKR buys directly from
the source, Trerotola said, often
in bulk and at a discount.
With fewer overhead costs because
of the smaller footprint
of the micro-warehouses versus
a large grocery store and
more control over their stock
and food waste, he said, they
can pass on the money they
save to their customers.
“I think we set out, as
any startup does, with a
fairly aggressive
roadmap on expansion,”
he said.
“It was yet to be
seen whether
this was something
that took off
in a city like New
York where you
already have so
many convenience
items.”
“To my shock, I
think we’ve grown
faster than we ever expected.
The demand has outpaced
what we expected, and I think
it has really shown there is a
product market fit here, and
that people do demand more
convenience in this world, especially
when it comes to grocery
shopping.”
Our next story in The Race
to Deliver series will include
comparison shopping between
these grocery store apps and
items sold at traditional grocery
stores and supermarkets.
THE RACE TO DELIVER
One of the “Fridge No More” locations is on 4th Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
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