Back in early 2020, TrendWatching launched ‘Covid Innovations’ to inspire entrepreneurs and marketers to serve their customers better in dire covid times.
With covid no longer deeply impacting daily life, we’re fully focused again on all innovations that make the world a little bit better - check out MakeShift, our free weekly publication to stay on top of the latest trends, insights and innovations.
The business is turning 100 more supermarkets into ‘priority delivery hubs’ after a successful trial in 41 locations, with new hubs launching throughout the week. Additionally, Woolworths is rolling out an $80 box of basic groceries using Australia Post and other distribution channels to get orders to isolated people faster.
Read MoreThe mission of the Biermi initiative is to keep as many beer producers in business as possible during the pandemic. The platform helps customers find large and small breweries in their states and neighbourhoods, to then conveniently order beer from them.
Read MoreStarship began working with the Broad Branch Market in early April, when the corner store was forced to close to shoppers, with up to 10 robots each day delivering goods in the Washington neighborhood. The store handles 60 to 70 deliveries daily, half by robot.
Read MoreWPP is showing how retailers around the world are operating as they rise to the unprecedented challenges of helping society, their local communities, consumers while also supporting staying afloat.
Read MoreThe 8800 square metre store in Penrose, Auckland, is like a traditional format supermarket but with no physical customers. Instead, 200 full and part-time personal shoppers service online orders for delivery from Countdown's 10 busiest stores.
Read MoreThis new app helps businesses around the Gold Coast, Australia, to share updates about their current opening hours as well as new products and offers with customers.
Read MoreThe London-based initiative Runnerdeliveries.com helps the elderly and most vulnerable get access to groceries and other essential goods without having to leave their homes, by putting them in contact with people that can voluntarily deliver them their list of needs.
Read MoreOpen Table, a popular restaurant reservation platform provides a new option to customers to reserve shopping time slots at selective grocery and retail stores in the US during COVID.
Read MoreAs restaurants, hairdressers, hotels and many local Italian businesses are struggling, a team of 4 people launched the non-profit platform TorniamoPresto.it to support these local businesses by buying them a gift card to use when they can reopen.
Read MoreThe Welcome app can help supermarkets and other shops adapt to the current situation to become more accessible to those with sight challenges or severe autism, for example, through a system that allows customers to alert staff in advance of their arrival and specific needs.
Read MoreRoodkappje is a community-driven delivery platform to help small restaurants and markets reopen at least for deliveries. Volunteers that go out for a jog or to walk your dog are turned into deliverymen who pick up parcels and deliver them around their neighbourhood.
Read MoreTo answer the surge in online purchases, Kmart temporarily converts a few of its stores into 'order fulfilment sites'. The company will keep offering free delivery on online orders over $45 to help support customers.
Read MoreThe device is a convenient reminder to employees and customers to maintain a healthy physical distance, staying 6 feet apart from each other. A red alert warns employees and customers when they have gotten too close.
Read MoreThis collaborative platform maps small, local businesses in Belo Horizonte, Brasil, which are delivering food, medicine and more to help people in quarantine and support their businesses.
Read MoreUberEats aims to help South Africans remaining at home by delivering a smaller range of essential items safely within an hour of ordering via the app. Uber Eats encourages eaters to check the app often as new staples and convenience products are being added daily from local partners and stores nearby.
Read MoreEntrega.li was developed to help local businesses in Brasilian cities advertise their services during the quarantine times. The objective is to connect small businesses who might not be so tech-savvy with customers nearby.
Read MoreBuilder.ai is a platform allowing the fast-building of software and apps. With Studio Store, the company aims to first serve e-commerce and delivery, such as flower shops, grocery stores and clothiers with dedicated apps. The first three months of this service will be provided for free.
Read MoreThis platform provides a map with the local businesses you can find in your surroundings in order to support the local economy and, at the same time, provides visibility to the businesses to be found easily.
Read MoreThe Boxcar app used to help residents and businesses to rent out open driveways or parking lots. Residents in Madison, New Jersey, can now use the app to reserve and pick up grocery boxes that contain eggs, milk and romaine lettuce, among other fruits and vegetables.
Read MoreThe vending machines will be placed in buildings of at least 100 apartments and will stock around 70 Vkusvill products to better serve shoppers during the COVID lockdown in Moscow and St Petersburg.
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