In an Australian-first, Mirvac Retail has aggregated a range of local, independent retailers from its shopping centres onto an online marketplace, Essentials Express Home Delivery.
The marketplace allows customers to order essentials from multiple retailers via one transaction and receive same day delivery direct to their door. Customers that order by 12pm receive their products between 3pm and 6pm on the same day.
Initially launching at Moonee Ponds Central (MPC) in Victoria and Orion Springfield Central in Queensland, the multi-retailer, contactless home delivery service responds to research which showed a 45% increase in online grocery sales in May.
The new service is also an evolution of Essentials Express, a pilot program that started in April 2020, that enabled customers to ‘click and collect’ products from independent retailers at the shopping centre.
Mirvac general manager for retail, Kelly Miller said, “Mirvac Retail has been working towards an ecommerce platform for two years. By accelerating these plans we are in a fortunate position to be able to support our retailers, many of whom are small businesses employing the local community, while also delivering essentials to our customers, safely.
“The Essentials Express platform is essentially a start-up program for us to test the viability of a new hybrid retail model which we hope to eventually roll out across other locations via Click and Collect and Home Delivery.”
Local retailer, John De Maria of De Maria’s greengrocer at Moonee Ponds Central (pictured above) said, “Essentials Express has been a boost for our business. It has helped us to continue to serve our loyal customers despite the strict lockdowns due to COVID-19, and keep our valued staff employed. We are so grateful to work with Moonee Ponds Central to develop this solution to the demand of the current environment and help us start trading online.”
Mirvac has partnered with global marketplace platform technology provider, Omnyfy and leading Australian on-demand delivery app, Sherpa, to extend the in-store service at Mirvac’s centres to customers’ homes via contactless home delivery.
Issam Soubjaki at Sherpa said, “Sherpa has a fleet of over 10,000 couriers Australia-wide and have the experience and the scale to support Mirvac as they revolutionise the traditional bricks and mortar shopping centre experience, not only allowing customers to purchase from multiple retailers but have it delivered direct to their door. While this is particularly relevant during COVID-19, home delivery is a proven model that will remain relevant well into the future.”
Omnyfy CEO, Fabian Rebeiro added: “Mirvac’s thought leadership and drive to offer better omni-channel ordering and fulfilment options to its customers demonstrates how traditional shopping centres can evolve to make bricks and clicks work in a multi-vendor setting. Omnyfy is proud to have partnered with Sherpa to create a dynamic, rapid-delivery service and offer a new level of convenience and safety to Mirvac’s shoppers.”