New delivery app to rock market

Competition in the local delivery space is set to rise after the entry of global on-demand operator, Glovo. 

The firm, with operations in Europe and South America, is a Spanish startup founded in 2015 and has since expanded its operations into several African countries.

“Glovo is the app that allows users to buy, receive and send any product in their city within minutes,” said Priscilla Muhiu, Glovo’s head of marketing for sub-Saharan Africa at the launch in Nairobi yesterday.

Boasting more than a million users and 14,000 store partners worldwide, Glovo is present in more than 20 countries, including Spain, France, Italy in Europe and Peru, Brazil and Panama in South America. 

Kenya is the third African market for the firm after Morocco and Egypt, where it launched last year. Ms Muhiu said the launch in Kenya reinforced the transformation that the on-demand economy and delivery sector was undergoing in the country.

“Our vision is to bring the convenience of technology to everyone’s hand, giving them access to their own city while creating income opportunities for thousands of Glovers - our delivery riders.”

To this end, said Muhiu, Glovo had partnered with a wide range of establishments, including restaurants, supermarkets, butcheries, bakeries, gift shops as well as a network of bike riders to make deliveries.

As an incentive, the company will reward new users referred to the app with credit worth Sh600.

“Glovo will also refund the delivery fees for any deliveries done in more than 45 minutes,” said Muhiu.