Online grocery delivery app Instashop saw the number of orders it was handling double within the first few weeks of the coronavirus outbreak, according to the start-up’s founding partner.
Since then, Instashop’s business has maintained its growth, processing even more orders as lockdown restrictions force consumers to turn to online shopping, with physical access to supermarkets limited to permits issued by Dubai Police.
“App downloads increased by more than 70 per cent and the business is up by more 50 per cent,” Cosmin Manea, Founding Partner at InstaShop, told the Business Breakfast show on Dubai Eye radio station. “The average basket value increased by 50 per cent as well. In general, across all KPIs, we’ve seen increases,” he added.
He said Instashop’s promise of average delivery time of 45 minutes has been difficult to maintain, with supermarkets in some areas experiencing issues meeting demand. While Instashop will process the order, it’s up to each partner store to deliver the ‘last mile’ to the customer.
Founded in 2015, Instashop operates in the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Qatar, Lebanon and Egypt and has plans to expand into three regional markets in the future, post Covid-19.
