Robomart: The Mobile Mini-Store That Comes to You

I’ve tried a few shopping apps, and I’ve had a friend that worked a grocery order-and-delivery service back around 2000. Now, there’s Robomart, a company with an app working to provide you a hail-to-purchase-to-delivery experience through an app and delivery service in record time.

robomart

Robomart is attempting to replicate the business model of Uber, DoorDash, and similar businesses by providing an app-and-service connection where you use your app to choose what you want—in this case, either pharmacy products such as shampoo, hand sanitizer, tissues, or analgesics through their Pharmacy service, or chips, soft drinks, Twinkies, and the like with Snacks Robomart.

Robomart service

You pull up the mini-store on the app, select your stuff, and it arrives. You take the item you want, and a receipt appears on your smartphone once your card is charged — no tip necessary, although there is a small contactless delivery charge.

The Robomart folks say the difference with their product is two-fold: the speed of delivery and the lack of errors.

We’ve all been frustrated when we order something and get broccoli instead of fries, or someone else’s order arrives, or they forgot an entire chunk of what you ordered. Not to mention the order taking 90 minutes to arrive,  even when the doggone place is less than a mile away.

After some pilot testing with their app and service in West Hollywood, California, Robomart says they consistently achieved delivery times of under 10 minutes, with much more effective delivery accuracy, which resulted in rave reviews from their consumers.

robomart snacks van

Though they currently are only offering the Snacks and Pharmacy options now, and the company’s Grocery option is in development, featuring fresh fruits and vegetables as well as other refrigerated items. We can expect to see Pantry, Deli, and Café Robomart launches in the coming months.

For now, Robomart is only available in West Hollywood, but expansion plans are in place.

The Robomart app is available on the iOS App Store and will be available on Android soon. You can learn more about the service here, read the FAQs here, and you can sign up for updates on the service (like where it will be available next) here.

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About the Author

Douglas Moran
Born in New England, as a Navy brat I traveled all over the NorthEast before settling in the California East Bay for 6 years, followed by planting deep roots in the city of my collegiate alma mater: The beach town of Santa Cruz, of all places. But Navy brats don’t usually have hometowns per se, so I get to pick mine and I choose the ‘Cruz. Make of that what you will. A nerd of long-standing, I took my first computer programming class on a Commodore Pet (2K of RAM!) in 1978 and have never looked back. I have built a solid, creditable career as a technical writer, information architect, and web site manager at companies large and small, from start-ups you’ve never heard of to places like Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, & IBM. And at the same time I’ve been putting forth my opinions every place I can get an audience, from the letters columns of Newsweek, various newspapers, and NPR, to online places like Salon.com and my own blogs. Not forgetting my lengthy side-career of posting tech reviews, news pieces, and opinions at the wonderful tech site Gear Diary. In my spare time I write fiction and publish it on Wattpad; learn Lindy Hop and West Coast Swing; take Tai Chi; and spend entirely too much time reading and watching science fiction.