A Manchester-based technology company is launching a ground-breaking way to help key workers and vulnerable people get their essential household items quickly and safely during the COVID-19 crisis.
At聽the touch of a button,聽Mercarto聽Fresh arranges delivery for聽food such as fruit and veg,聽eggs聽and bread聽to聽the doorsteps of those聽who are聽most at need.
Moved by the plight of NHS staff being confronted with empty supermarket shelves after finishing marathon shifts聽the聽team at聽online marketplace platform聽Mercarto聽looked聽at how it could use its established technology for good. In just a few days,聽the firm聽switched聽its聽focus聽from building online stores for businesses聽and developed a virtual food market聽for public use.
Mercarto聽founder and CEO Sean Brown said: 鈥淎s this national crisis began to escalate, we knew we had to look at the resources available to us and think about how they could be used to help people who are struggling to buy food online.
鈥淲hilst consumers are struggling to access fresh produce, the local producers I have spoken with are struggling with an influx of demand that is unmanageable.聽Mercarto聽Fresh helps to manage that demand while adding delivery direct to consumers within a matter of hours.鈥�
The firm is聽now calling for聽calling for local suppliers including food outlets, farms, farm shops, and independent stores to populate the virtual market.聽Once stores are created users聽can聽purchase goods from suppliers within a 10-mile radius and either collect their shopping or聽arrange delivery聽directly from the site.
To create a fair system for all shoppers there is a restriction of two items per customer on each product line to provide fresh produce to as many people as possible.
After hearing that taxi firms聽had experienced a huge drop in trade,聽Mercarto聽has聽teamed up with聽Street Cars聽to trial a delivery service in Greater Manchester before a nationwide roll out.
Brown said: 鈥淪treet Cars has an enormous network of taxis and I knew it was the company we needed to work with for a project like this. Trust, reliability and extensive experience of Greater Manchester鈥檚 roads are key for ensuring customers receive their deliveries as fast as possible during this difficult period.鈥�
Measures have聽also聽been put in place to ensure the utmost hygiene and safety levels for suppliers, delivery drivers and customers.
Brown added:聽鈥淲e are living in unprecedented times and the current situation is unknown territory for us all. But, despite the uncertainty we want to provide everyone with the opportunity to feed their family fresh, nutritious food. It鈥檚 one less thing to worry about.鈥�
Suppliers wishing to sign up to聽Mercarto聽Fresh can do so for free. They are then taken through a quick and simple process to upload their product inventory to start selling to customers.