Status: 03/06/2022 11:57 a.m
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Order groceries via app and have them delivered in 15 minutes: This offer is tempting for many New Yorkers. In the tough competition between providers, German start-ups are heavily involved.
By Antje Passenheim, ARD Studio New York
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Gorillas, Jokr, Getir, Gopuff – more and more apps are getting involved in the fight for fresh food delivery in New York in minutes. “I see a lot of options: They also have whole meals, which I might be able to do one day,” says busy New York home office worker Colin Robertson. “But now I order limes, water, coconut milk and strawberries.”
Antje Passenheim
ARD-Studio New York
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Best of all: Radkurier Michael will be there with the goods in fifteen minutes at the latest – that’s what the app promises. Robertson can even track the driver with his order on the map. “I can’t imagine it taking them 15 minutes to get it to my door, but if they did, I’d be really impressed,” says Robertson.
New York ideal environment for the services
The just-in-time business hits Manhattan. Six major players are on the market. New York is ideal for these services, says New York University economist Arun Sundararajan. “There’s this culture where people just go to the deli or kiosk around the corner,” says Sundararajan. “Most people here don’t have much storage space in their homes. They often buy small quantities. The immediate is valued here more than anywhere else.”
Every third shop here did not survive the pandemic. The empty areas are suitable for storage rooms for fast delivery services: so-called dark warehouses, i.e. shops with darkened windows in which there is no sales area. This is a revolution, says Sundararajan. “The change to these ‘dark storage rooms’, the shops without a sales room, which the 15-minute services have introduced, is now the program. Because more and more people are staying at home and using digital services.”
German start-ups are getting involved
Ralf Wenzel also uses his chance. The German is CEO and co-founder of the start-up “Jokr”. In addition to the other German delivery service, “Gorillas” from Berlin, “Jokr” advertises for customers in Manhattan. User behavior is changing rapidly, says Wenzel in a web interview. “People value the now more. The immediate, to meet their needs. They don’t plan that much in advance.”
People care more about environmental friendliness and the price. But the suppliers are also concerned with fairness. The cyclists, who ride at breakneck speed in all weathers, are often immigrants. Your job is your gateway to a better world. In return, they often put up with bad conditions. “It’s unbelievable. You go to work during the pandemic, where many jobs have been lost,” says Mani Ramirez. “And in the midst of danger and accidents, you can’t even go to the bathroom.”
struggle for better working conditions
New York’s app workers have now fought for this right. Also the right to receive the digitally transferred tips. But there are still enough dangers: attacks, accidents, damage to health, which also arise from the time pressure.
New York politicians have therefore introduced a bill. Councilwoman Carlina Rivera says he should ban the 15-minute business. “Through these apps, we have more workers every day. We want to make sure they’re treated fairly,” says Rivera. “We also hope that New York will inspire other cities across the country to do the same for their workers.”
Nevertheless, economist Sundararajan sees no danger to the business. “The survival model will be: dark storage rooms and delivery – not speed,” he says. “In the end, the 15-minute option will not matter in order to survive on the market.” Especially since it often doesn’t work now.
IT man Robertson is waiting three times as long as advertised for his groceries. Headwind and traffic, so the driver apologizes when he rings the bell. Robertson still likes his strawberries. He has already made up his mind to click the app again.
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