Written by Enzo Luna
Delivery-on-demand in 2019 wasn’t perceived well and some of the players discontinued their services as big players, like the malls entered this innovation leaving stand alone delivery companies to bow out. That was 2019.
But the recent turn of events brought up by COVID-19 pandemic blew this business opportunity even for malls who struggled to meet customers’ demands to get by day-to-day living as everyone were forced to stay at home and prevented from visiting malls for quite some time.
The idea which the delivery-on-demand on mobile app started to flourish again and a lot of people rely on this service to purchase goods or deliver items from one household to another. This innovation encourages consumers prioritize safety and migrate to digital commerce
A single app for every essential
Imagine opening a single app to find and order everything you need from food to hardware products, pay for them in a single check-out process, and get the items delivered to your doorstep. This is the kind of customer experience that PICK.A.ROO, this new lifestyle delivery app launched in the Philippines, wants to offer via an “all-in-one” delivery platform.
PICK.A.ROO is a premium all-in-one lifestyle delivery app aimed to help urban consumers transition to the new normal, stress-free, and conveniently. The closed beta version of PICK.A.ROO will be available on August 8, Saturday, for the first 188 invite-only users exclusively. This safe, hygienic, and contact-free delivery service brings only the best brands and products they love straight from the store to their doors.
“With PICK.A.ROO, people residing in key cities will be able to access over 300 PICK.A.ROO - approved brands and shop all their must-haves in one seamless app; from Apple products, gourmet hotel food, local IG-trends, and Michelin-star restaurants, to daily essentials like groceries, medicine, home and kitchen, and all your stay-at-home needs. We want to differentiate and empower high-quality local brands and premium retailers by creating a curated online space for them” says Crystal Gonzalez, PICK.A.ROO CEO and Co-founder.
Gonzalez was the former head of Philippine operations of the Singapore-headquartered grocery delivery app Honestbee and the lessons she learned from her experience helped her to develop her own take at a delivery service that is customized for the Philippines. She has also roped in former Honestbee employees to lead PICK.A.ROO’s operations, business development, categories, and expansion.
“Even before this pandemic, we spent the entire year researching and planning a fresh concept that bridges the gap between premium offline brands and the growing online segment. With this vision in mind, we decided that to be able to create a unique all-in-one and on-demand premium delivery experience, we had to build our own homegrown start-up and redefine the Filipino’s shopping experience,” shares Kevin Tan, Founder of PICK.A.ROO. PICK.A.ROO is the first start-up investment of AGILE Digital Ventures” the technology and digital investment arm of property giant, Megaworld).
PICK.A.ROO opens business opportunities to MSMEs
PICK.A.ROO’s entry on the delivery-on-demand industry will also pave way for micro, small, and medium entrepreneurs who are doing businesses online, as well as those who are having trouble in selling their products physically to their consumers.
“As long as they (MSMEs) have the complete requirements, they have their BIR permits and registered their businesses, they are welcome to PICK.A.ROO and we’ll include them in our pool of merchants and create curated online space to help them go on with their businesses,” said Gonzales.
“PICK.A.ROO was thoughtfully created with the local community’s needs at its core. This is something we stand by, not only where our users are concerned, but to our entire team as well. Given the current conditions of the world, where safety and hygiene are of utmost importance now more than ever, FWD Life Philippines will provide life insurance to all our riders and personal shoppers. On top of providing protection, a financial literacy program will be rolled out too.”
Focal points of the PICK.A.ROO
● Quality over quantity: Shop directly from a curated roster of local and international merchants that are all registered and verified businesses.
● On-demand & scheduled delivery options: Have your favorite products delivered right now or schedule it for up to three days in advance.
● Hygiene & safety: Get peace of mind with PICK.A.ROO’s strict hygiene and safety protocols which include rapid testing of all our over 1500 shoppers and riders, thermal scanner checks, and constant disinfecting of delivery bags. All riders and shoppers are provided clinical-grade face shields and masks.
● Multiple payment options: Powered by PayMaya, you can make payments through credit card, debit card, or e-wallets. You can also pay with cash upon delivery, which customers must place in clear money bags provided by the rider, to comply with the contact-free policy.
● Single checkout: Order from multiple shops and pay all at once with PICK.A.ROO’s simplified single check-out process. This feature will be available as an update soon.
● Drive-through or Curbside pick-up: New check-out options to be rolled out in the next app updates.
Availability
PICK.A.ROO will be available on closed beta on August 8, 2020 for the first 188 invite-only users. However, starting August 18, 2020, PICK.A.ROO will be opening up the app to more users in key cities in Metro Manila. The community can be part of PICK.A.ROO’s journey and vote for their favorite brands at www.pickaroo.com and the cities they want the app to launch next by voting through a live online poll on www.facebook.com/pickarooph or www.instagram.com/pickarooapp.
You can download PICK.A.ROO on Play Store/Google Play (for Android) and App Store (for Apple).