A startup called StorePower wants to take a bite out of the grocery delivery business by giving supermarkets an alternative to working with courier marketplaces like Instacart, Postmates, Amazon Fresh or Google Express. The company has raised an undisclosed amount of early-stage funding from Exigent Capital and individual angels, according to co-founder and CEO Richard Demb.
StorePower’s technology helps grocery stores of any size take orders from customers and arrange for in-store pickup or delivery. Customers can order by text message if they so choose, which alleviates the burden of stores asking them to download yet another app. With features like indoor mapping and multi-order picking, the platform also helps grocery stores manage the packing and prepping of customers’ orders.
Shoppers preparing an order in a store can bypass checkout. By contrast, companies like Instacart and Postmates usually require their personal shoppers to go through a checkout line or dedicated express lane.
According to Demb, the company was inspired by Abe’s Market , his earlier startup, a high-end online grocery and a kind of spiritual predecessor to businesses like Thrive Market or GrubMarket.
