New York City has selected Mercato to serve as an e-Commerce marketplace that will connect underserved communities with local grocery stores. The partnerships will let select shops in each of the five boroughs begin offering their inventory online and via local delivery, a functionality they didn’t previously have.
The arrangement will let shoppers order from several stores at once within each neighborhood. The pilot will start with a number of areas identified by the Mayor’s Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity, including Harlem, Mott Haven, Brownsville, Hollis, Richmond Hill and Stapleton. NYC will waive the setup fee for participating stores to help them get up and running faster.
“Communities across New York City, and communities of color in particular, deserve access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food and need it now more than ever,” said Anusha Venkataraman, Co-Chair of the Taskforce subcommittee on Food Access & Insecurity and NYC Chief Service Officer in a statement. “I am proud of the Taskforce’s work to expand and improve these important initiatives and support local businesses in the process. Moreover, these options will help expand choice, including to culturally appropriate foods, so that New Yorkers can choose which foods they want to eat and feed their families.”
Mercato was founded in Brooklyn and has partnerships with local independent grocers including Sahadi’s and Patel Brothers, but this initiative is designed to empower stores in more marginalized neighborhoods. Each store also will become part of the solution provider’s ongoing consumer marketing campaigns, which can help boost digital traffic.
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