Eastmatt Supermarkets on Wednesday announced the official roll-out of the Pick and Go service that allows customers to send in their shopping orders via SMS.
The supermarket chain will then send the customer a quotation, for payment via an Mpesa till number. The customer can then, within one hour, pick up their order.
The Supermarket chain rolled out a pilot of the service earlier this month.
“We took a look at the modern trade market, and realized a great gap” said Eastmatt Marketing and Business Development Manager, Yvonne Ndunge. Many businesses have had to embrace e-commerce to stay afloat during the pandemic period. Unfortunately, while internet penetration has spread significantly, its use within the country is still very low. Many of our clients are therefore unable to benefit from all the internet has to offer,”
“With high costs associated with the purchase of data bundles, and lack of knowledge on how to use the e-commerce sites, people still largely depend on going to the shops for their purchases. Some customers also have very basic phones that cannot access the internet. Such audiences have a need that e-commerce does not respond to. Our SMS Pick and Go service is therefore very timely, and provides a lot of convenience to the users.” she added.
Eastmatt customers within Nairobi Central Business District (CBD), and those living within a 1 kilometer radius of the supermarket in the Nairobi Suburbs and upcountry areas will benefit from free deliveries.
“We want to reduce instore customer traffic as much as possible. We are happy to be the pioneers of the free deliveries, as we play our part in checking the spread of the Corona Virus” The response to the pilot has been very positive, with many of our customers lauding the efficiency and convenience it brings.” concluded Ms. Ndunge.
Kenya is still grappling with new Corona cases every day, even as the authorities encourage people to continue to stay at home and practice social distancing. Yet, customers still need to shop, without spending too much time in the supermarket. The Pick and Go model reduces the need to physically visit the supermarkets.
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