8 Successful Local Delivery Marketplaces using Spree Commerce
Marketplaces have always been one of the most popular Spree Commerce use cases thanks to its robust multi-vendor features as included in the Spree multi-vendor extension. The extension is so popular, in fact, that we’ve decided to move it into Spree Core in a future version set to be released in early 2022. Development is underway!
One trend that has grown a lot in recent years (partly in response to the pandemic) is the local food delivery marketplace. Social distancing aside, many businesses have identified the need to support their local communities and reduce carbon footprints by reducing the amount of food that needs to be shipped over long distances and instead focusing on locally grown produce.
With so many big competitors, is there space for yet another local food delivery marketplace? Let’s take a look at some examples of local delivery marketplaces using Spree Commerce below and see how they compete for market share with the big corporations.
Farmdrop – locally sourced fresh produce
Founded in 2012, Farmdrop is a UK-based P2P local delivery marketplace that was created as a means of cutting out the middleman with a farm-to-table approach. They focus on delivering fresh, sustainably produced food and drinks, but also list various other product categories including Health & Beauty, Household, and Baby & Child.
Each product has its own story, and each of the (near 1,000) producers has a description of their history and the processes they use. It’s basically like shopping at your local market but without having to leave your home.
Farmdrop also has its own range of meal kits for those with a passion for cooking, but a lack of inspiration, and a range of ready-to-eat recipes for those with busy schedules that still want to maintain a nutritious diet.
View the full success story here.
TheFoodMarket.com – used Spree from the get-go
TheFoodMarket.com has been operating since 2015 and has used Spree Commerce as its marketplace solution since its conception. They quickly became one of the top online food markets in the UK selling a unique range of food, drinks, health supplements, and gifts from hundreds of small producers.
Anyone that’s an independent producer or retailer of gourmet, artisan, free-from, or health food and drinks can apply to become a vendor on their beautifully designed website. TheFoodMarket.com also offers gift vouchers and the possibility to order corporate gifts for clients, colleagues, and teams.
In need of some inspiration? Visit their blog to view a range of recipes from protein-packed pancakes to vegan chocolate truffles!
Omie & Cie – built using Spree headless
While strictly speaking not a marketplace, Omie & Cie is nonetheless a great example of a local grocery delivery platform built with Spree Commerce which they have deployed in headless mode with their own custom storefront built with React and Next.js.
Based in France, their attention is centered around providing complete transparency to their customers by giving them a granular breakdown of where the ingredients come from and how revenue for each product is shared between producers, processors, packaging manufacturers, and themselves.
They offer only one of each product – the highest quality and most sustainably sourced – making it much more straightforward for their clients to place orders by eliminating the need to sift through countless pages of pesto brands in search of the best option.
Working hand in hand with producers and processors to support the development of their agricultural practices and with recyclable packaging that minimizes CO2 impact, it’s safe to say that Omie & Cie is a company with a green future in its sights.
Epicery – a vendor-focused marketplace using Spree
Another one from France, Epicery was founded in 2016 and connects its users with local markets, specialty stores, supermarkets, restaurants, and florists.
Browsing their website, it’s clear to see they place a huge emphasis on the traders rather than individual products. Epicery makes use of a custom storefront to display all the important information of each trader on their listing pages including delivery times, delivery costs, and ratings.
Another interesting aspect of their business is the “Super Commerçant”, or “Super Trader”, a title which is bestowed only upon the traders with the most know-how and highest quality products. Super Traders undergo a reviewal process whereby the Epicery team visits each merchant to test their knowledge and study what they have to offer in-store.
Irv & Shelley’s Fresh Picks
When Irv and Shelley started Fresh Picks, they had a clear mission in mind – to support and partner with local farms to bring the people of Chicago and Illinois the very best of organic local produce.
Being in business for so many years, they have a very interesting history and that includes their choices of ecommerce solutions. Originally using Magento, they eventually migrated from Magento to Spree Commerce in 2019.
As well as their direct-to-consumer service, Fresh Picks also provides wholesale pricing to local businesses. They also partner with community groups, food pantries, and schools to promote access to healthy food and green living.
If your feeling short of imagination, check out there their list of recipes at: https://www.freshpicks.com/recipes
Farmy – a multi-language marketplace using Spree
Farmy, a Swiss local grocery delivery marketplace, prides itself on providing only the best local produce to its customers. But what about the products that can’t be sourced within Switzerland? They’re carefully curated from international producers that match their philosophy.
Their merchants offer all manners of organic and high-quality food products along with drinks, cosmetics, child & baby food, pet food, and plants. Some of their merchants also provide freshly-made, ready-to-eat meals.
On the technical side of things, Farmy also built their own native Spree apps for iOS and Android and use a multi-language setup supporting French, German, and English.
Their website also features an extensive encyclopedia of ingredients to allow users to fill any gaps in their knowledge.
Cubi – a local delivery game changer?
Cubi is a company that has revolutionized the local food marketplace. While their service doesn’t provide delivery, they do offer an innovative approach to purchasing food online thanks to their secure, temperature-controlled storage lockers, or Cubi stations. Simply select a pick-up location and your desired products and you’ll receive a link to access your Cubi when the order is ready.
Currently operating in Holland and Grand Rapids, Michigan, Cubi facilitates the sale of food, non-alcohol beverages, household items, cosmetics, and pet food in a convenient, fun, and safe way all the while supporting local producers and retailers.
When buying from Cubi, you can rest assured that the product(s) you ordered have been grown, reared, baked, or created within 100 miles of their depot.
Lomi – a Chilean local food delivery marketplace
Founded in July 2020, Lomi set out with goals to enhance the local economy, reduce the carbon footprint and create an outstanding user experience. Using Spree Commerce from the get-go, they opted for a modified storefront to better suit their target market and included a repeat order feature that goes hand in hand with their UX goals.
With all the product categories one would expect from a local food delivery marketplace, they also supply pet food, cosmetics, accessories such as socks and slippers, and cleaning supplies.
Further evidence of Lomi’s care for the customers is their short delivery times. Orders are dispatched within 60 minutes and sent directly to the customer’s home (unless they ordered after closing time in which case the order will be delivered the next day).
As you can see, there certainly is space for more local food delivery marketplaces especially when they make use of innovation, support local communities, and have philosophies in line with the modern, green way of thinking.
Interested in starting your own local delivery marketplace? Read this article about launching an MVP within weeks.
If that’s not enough for you, or you’re interested in building something other than a local delivery marketplace, why don’t you take a look at our list of 100+ ecommerce stores and marketplaces using Spree Commerce.
