Boston Independent Grocers Heat Up Ecommerce Competition with New Delivery Platform

A number of independent grocers in Boston now have the ability to deliver their goods to local patrons via a grocery ecommerce platform that allows specialty purveyors to compete with larger operators.

New York-based grocery technology company Mercato connects smaller grocers with Bostonians that prefer to eat locally, boasting a "robust offering of local butchers, seafood and produce markets, bakers and small grocers" within Beantown. One of the more prominent partners with Mercato in the region, Boston Public Market, offers more than two-dozen popular options ranging from Beantown Pastrami and Levend Bagelry to Noodle Lab and Red Apple Farm. Mercato will pick up orders from a variety of retailers within the market and deliver them to customers for a single fee.

Local independent grocery stores wishing to operate as online grocers through Mercato's program can deliver across a 16-mile radius, connecting consumers with shops as far out as Newton, Mass. In total, roughly 40 specialty shops around Boston currently are signed on with the service, with more expected to join.

"It's a thrill to be serving Boston, one of the best food cities in America and a town that is clearly populated with discriminating consumers," said Bobby Brannigan, founder and CEO of Mercato, "Boston is similar to other Mercato cities like San Francisco and DC in that it's bursting with an independent and specialty food scene. Unlike the larger delivery platforms, Mercato is designed specifically to connect these smaller, more thoughtful shops with the true food lovers residing in their city."