The combination of self-isolation, social distancing, loss of work and massive demand on supermarket delivery slots means that there’s one group of people in the city struggling to get supplies and another that have an abundance of time on their hands. On-demand app Pinga connects the two, providing essential deliveries for those running low and income for those whose hours have been cut.
Users can broadcast requests for items from local shops and takeaways and the first Pinga Partner (local residents signed up to the service) to accept does the shopping on their behalf, within an hour. Once the job is done, the recipient pays the Pinga Partner for the goods, plus a delivery fee (currently being subsidised by the app). There’s even an in-app chat function so it’s easy to communicate throughout the job about item shortages or substitutions.
All the shopping is done on local high street, with Pinga Partners undertaking strict handwashing protocols and offering contact-free deliveries.