As Supermercato24 seeks to expand its service to new retail markets, the Italian grocery delivery service has raised €13 million in Series B funding. The round was led by FII Tech Growth, along with 360 Capital Partners, Innogest and Endeavor Catalyst, according to reports.
“Our customers represent that increasing share of the population that would love to spend their time differently rather than doing grocery shopping,” Supermercato24 CEO Federico Sargenti said. “Going to the store, pushing a cart through the alleys, queuing up, checking out and lifting heavy grocery shopping bags from the store’s register all the way up to your apartment can take lots of energy and up to three hours every week.”
With a service akin to Instacart in the U.S., Supermercato24 uses personal shoppers to pick items from supermarkets and bring them to customers within the same day they’re ordered. Customers can receive their items as quickly as an hour for an additional cost.
The news comes as another locale in Europe — central London — will soon see its food shopping market receive a boost. U.K. grocery chain Tesco recently launched a one-hour delivery service to the area. In partnership with commerce and delivery startup Quiqup, Tesco offers both a one-hour and a two-hour option via its Tesco Now app on both Android and iOS.
Customers are limited to 20 items or less for delivery by moped. Quiqup’s app will provide delivery cost estimates, while the Tesco Now app gives users live updates and order tracking.
Tim Linssen, Quiqup’s co-founder and head of product, commented on the changing retail landscape and the need for tech integrations: “As consumer expectations change, retailers of all sizes and across verticals will be expected to offer flexible, efficient and affordable delivery to their customers. Quiqup partners are able to do this quickly and easily by integrating our technology and infrastructure into their existing systems.”