The tough times and increasing food commodities has seen more Kenyans revert to informal food outlets also know as vibanda's to beat their hunger needs.
This has seen a spike in orders from the informal food kiosks which are generally considered to offer food at cheaper prices.
In an effort to tap into this new opportunity Glovo, a Spanish delivery service, has teamed with local companies to provide its customers with affordable meals.
Through the Kibanda Bubble, initative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can sign up and start using the platform for orders.
This is following an increasing number of Kenyans who now prefer ordering food from kibandas and local street food shops.
“As we monitor the growth of Kibanda business, orders in the Kibanda bubble have increased by 435%, meaning we have managed to deliver x5 more local meals through our Kibanda bubble in only 3 months,” it indicated.
The most ordered meals on the Kibanda bubble include beef stew, chapati, ugali, Ndengu, bean stew, and matumbo, which are all local cuisines in Nairobi.
“As Glovo we are aiming to be a catalyst for SMEs around the country through these partnerships with Kibanda owners as we bridge the gap where affordability meets convenience,” the firm said in a notice.
In the last few years, the e-commerce market has evolved from a simple concept of brick-and-mortar retail to a shopping ecosystem that involves smart technologies.
In its 2022 annual highlights the firm announced having on-boarded over 1,100 kibandas on its app.
“Most owners have noted since joining the App, it has been good for business with sales going up and getting clients that they normally would not get if they fully depended on walk-in clients,” it added.
Online food delivery services have been growing in the past few years, allowing customers access to a variety of foods from their offices or homes.
The above platforms used to be the domain of established fast-food outlets, local restaurants, cafes, and big hotels.
But with Covid-19, some smaller restaurants have taken advantage of the online space to expand their business.
Upon signing the collaboration agreement with Glovo, owners are offered an onboarding experience where they are shown how to handle the orders, how to contact partner support if they have any questions, and personalized insights so they can get the most benefits out of the app.
