The lure of on-demand groceries

Do you need a lemon right now but don’t want to leave the house? Just download an app and you’ll have it in 13 minutes. That’s the kind of service you can expect from a swathe of new ‘rapid delivery’ grocery apps. Dozens have appeared around the world since the start of the pandemic, and investors have been flocking to invest, pumping billions into the sector. So are these apps the obvious next step in our on-demand lifestyles, or should they be a cause for concern? When it comes to food, can things become just a bit too convenient?

Tamasin Ford hears from one company boss with big ambitions and a former competition lawyer who’s worried these apps could spell the end for smaller food stores. Plus, we travel to Istanbul in Turkey where people have already been using them for years.

(Picture: Man sat on sofa groceries being handed to him. Credit: Getty/BBC)

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Contributors:

Alec Dent: Co-Founder, Weezy
Kaya Genç: Novelist
Michelle Meagher: Founder, Balanced Economy Project