‘Dark store’-based ultrafast delivery service debuts in New York
Buyk is the latest platform offering real-time grocery delivery to New Yorkers.
The new, ultrafast grocery delivery service Buyk is launching operations in Manhattan with a promise of fulfilling online and mobile orders in 15 minutes or less. Orders require no minimum spend and no delivery fee. New York-based Buyk plans to expand across all New York City boroughs by the end of 2021, and then expand operations in 2022 in the largest metro areas across the U.S.
Like two other ultrafast delivery services which opened in New York City earlier in 2021, Jokr and Gorillas, Buyk relies on dark stores for fulfillment. Each dark store is stocked with 2,000-3,000 SKUs, to deliver groceries and other essentials to customers’ doors in 15 min or faster.
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Dark stores are strategically located to enable maximum coverage in the quickest possible time and are fitted with Buyk’s proprietary technology to optimize the speed of order picking and delivery. Buyk’s technology also provides its personnel with detailed information on a hyperlocal level, to ensure each dark store is stocked according to the specific needs and desires of consumers in that particular area.
In addition to offering national grocery products, Buyk’s assortment will also feature local partners. The company also intends to develop a private label in the near future.
Buyk’s founders, Rodion Shishkov and Slava Bocharov, previously started and ran European ultrafast delivery service Samokat. Gorillas also has European roots, having operated in Germany, the Netherlands, France and the U.K. before entering the U.S. market in New York.
“Three things are central to the Buyk business model: hyperlocality, execution and, of course, our proprietary technology,” said Slava Bocharov, CEO and co-founder of Buyk. “Tried and tested through years of our European operations, this technology is the magic through which the whole business operates. With this tech, we can assemble the ideal assortment for each area down to the finest detail, we can optimize picking strategies to ensure your order leaves the dark store almost as soon as you’ve put your smartphone down, and we can study the best routes to shave vital minutes off delivery to ensure your order arrives when you need it, and not a second later.”
“Buyk is a new entrant to the US market, but one that possesses a deep experience and expertise that other players simply cannot match,” said Rodion Shishkov, chief product officer and co-founder of Buyk. From our experience building Samokat, we know how to rapidly scale our business, implement the technological solutions needed to optimize margins, and crucially, turn unit economics positive in a market where current players are witnessing significant losses.”
The Buyk app is now available to download, with the service currently operating across Manhattan. A wider rollout will bring this service to all of New York City before the year is out.