Grocery tech startup Grocerist, which offers the only grocery-specific ecommerce solution built on Shopify, has launched a new ecommerce fulfillment app. The app enables independent grocers to sway from third-party marketplaces and run their own profitable online operations.
With Grocerist, independent grocers can create their own ecommerce operations and leverage order management, product data libraries, order picking and delivery and digital marketing services.
Unlike other warehouse order-picking apps, the new fulfillment app was designed based on feedback from “frustrated grocers and the unique needs of grocery ecommerce” according to a press release. The tailored features include order batching, product substitutions, weight-based pricing adjustments and easy-bag label pricing.
Grocerist states that independent grocers have struggled with ecommerce as many lack the resources to build their own online presence, which drives them to third-party marketplaces like Instacart. While these marketplaces get grocers online quickly, the startup says it’s at the expense of customer relationships, as customers transact with the marketplace instead of the grocer.
“Every day, we speak with grocers who are desperate to get off marketplaces and take control of their ecommerce destiny,” said Matt Smith, co-founder and COO of Grocerist.
“Feedback on our new fulfillment app has been overwhelmingly positive, every grocer currently on our platform has plans to use it. Our combination of demand gen plus operations, tailored just for grocery, has struck a chord,” Smith added.
In addition, the company provides merchants with an ecommerce store at their own URL, a national delivery partner, decreased credit card processing fees, guidance through the online SNAP application and continuous social media marketing support.
“With custom applications like Grocerist’s fulfillment app the Grocerist team is unlocking the power of Shopify for use in the grocery ecommerce environment,” said Peter Leech, managing director of The Partnering Group, a global retail consultancy.
“Shopify is truly the second titan of ecommerce after Amazon and has successfully supported more than a million ecommerce businesses across retail. The opportunity for grocers to finally be able to leverage the stability and ongoing innovation pipeline of Shopify is exciting.”
