SA startup Quench expands into grocery deliveries

31 Mar 2020

On-demand drinks delivery business Quench has expanded its service to include groceries. While the news comes at a convenient time, as South Africa entered into a nationwide lockdown on 27 March to combat the spread of the coronavirus, the company says it has been planning the expansion for a while.

Quench MD and co-founder Liam McCreedy

“Whilst this was a well-kept secret for the past five months, Quench has been planning and developing the infrastructure to expand its product offering into groceries and essential goods," says Quench managing director Liam McCreedy.

Quench has partnered with Spar, and will start delivering groceries and other essentials from the first week in April. Pharmaceuticals will soon be added to the service offering.

Explaining the reasons that led to the expansion, Quench says that food retailers looking for an e-commerce partner had been reaching out to the company for a while. Quench also wanted to offer its user base a wider product offering, and wanted to ensure that all its drivers have deliveries to execute, as alcohol and groceries have different peak ordering times.

SA drinks startup Quench announces service expansion and new driver app

28 Feb 2020

Quench has been certified by CIPC to operate during the lockdown period, and all drivers have the necessary documentation whilst in transit. In line with current regulations, no liquor or cigarettes may be sold at this time. Drivers have been trained to carry out deliveries without any close contact needed, and they're equipped with masks, gloves and sanitiser.

The service will be operating out of 10 locations across Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria, with plans to expand nationwide by the beginning of June.