Ten-minute grocery delivery coming to New York City – by bike

A bike-based European fast delivery startup will debut U.S. operations in Brooklyn, N.Y., on May 30.

Currently available in Germany, the Netherlands, France, and the U.K., the Gorillas app provides on-demand grocery delivery via bicycle in 10 minutes or less. To meet this deadline, Gorillas operates various micro-warehouses in each neighborhood it serves.

Micro-fulfillment technology automates picking and packing, using robotic systems to efficiently locate and retrieve products stored in a space too compact for human workers. Grocers including Walmart and Albertsons use micro-fulfillment in some locations.

Gorillas attempts to provide a mobile shopping experience that mirrors a trip to the supermarket, with the in-app “aisles” organized how they would be in physical aisles for easier browsing. The company allows customers to purchase from an assortment of standard grocery items, as well as products from hyperlocal vendors. In all, app users have access to more than 2,000 essential items at retail prices for a delivery fee of $1.80 and no minimum order size.

Delivery personnel are provided full time employment, and full-time personnel receive benefits traditional employees would receive in similar industries, such as healthcare, bikes, uniforms, and other equipment.

“As a result of the pandemic, online grocery delivery has seen steep momentum, but now that this industry has experienced the long overdue propulsion into e-commerce, it will be here to stay,” said Kağan Sümer, CEO and co-founder of Gorillas. “At Gorillas, we’re proud to not only offer consumers the convenience of such immediacy, but to do it with a purpose: in contrast to established gig economy models, we employ all riders directly and change the way riders work with full-time and part-time opportunities as well as benefits to our delivery staff.”

The Gorillas app is available for download and service will be available in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, as well as parts of Williamsburg, Downtown Brooklyn, Cobble Hill and Boerum Hill on May 30; followed by expansion in June across Manhattan. The company also plans to expand to other major U.S. cities. Gorillas operates in more than 25 European cities, including Amsterdam, London and Munich, with more than 75 micro-fulfillment centers across its markets.