Scores of the region’s corner shops are queuing up to take on the big supermarkets thanks to a start up that’s providing a “once in a lifetime chance to level the playing field”.
Sheffield-based www.3miles.co.uk experienced a 10-fold increase in turnover in the early weeks of the pandemic as it became virtually impossible to get a delivery slot from big name supermarkets like Sainsburys and Morrisons.
The situation allowed the start-up company to gain a foothold in the multi-billion pound grocery delivery market and prove the combined power of independent grocers can take on the corporates if it’s provided with the tools and expertise to do it.
The innovative www.3miles.co.uk platform allows independent traders the ability to sell all their products online – something they’d largely been unable to do because of the time, money and training required to set up and run an e-commerce business.
The site now boasts more than 5,000 different product lines – far more than many supermarkets – and the app has been downloaded in excess of 2,000 times.
Founder Mazen Musaed said: “We’re allowing traditional grocers with zero technical knowledge to have a high profile, online sales and door-to-door delivery service. We do everything for them. We know the small margins that are made on food and we’ve come up with a business model that works for everyone. Many of these traders have had a massive boost in profits as they can sell so much more.
“The Covid situation proved the limitations of the big corporate supermarkets as it became impossible to get a delivery slot when it was most needed. But this event provided a once in a lifetime chance to level the playing field for independent grocers – we were doing over 500 deliveries a week.”
Sheffield’s largest independent supermarket – Ozmans – and a growing number of independent businesses from Sheffield Markets are now offering door-to-door deliveries via www.3miles.co.uk.
