BUSINESS STRATEGY
Mercato | November 22, 2022
Mercato, the nation's leading eCommerce platform for independent grocers, has announced its new initiative to improve access to healthy foods and foster economic stability in low-income communities. Thriving Communities works with local governments, private funders and non-profits to bring more grocers onto the eGrocery platform so they can digitize their inventory, offer delivery and enable enrollment and utilization of SNAP online.Mercato, the nation's leading eCommerce platform for independent grocers, has announced its new initiative It creates what founder and CEO Bobby Brannigan calls "The Mercato Effect" whereby grocers going online provides residents access to healthy, culturally appropriate foods and the ability to redeem public/private food benefits which in turn creates more jobs, increases grocers' sales and keeps dollars circulating within the community. As the son of an independent grocer in Brooklyn, I know first-hand how critical these independent, local grocers are to the economic and social well-being of their communities," said Brannigan. "They are the lifeline for so many residents to get fresh, healthy, culturally relevant foods without having to travel far or wait weeks to go to the market. By giving local grocers the tools and technologies to operate online, they can increase their own revenue and fuel healthier ecosystems throughout the country. New York City was the first city to partner with Mercato, leveraging Thriving Communities to test a technological pilot that offered subsidized groceries to a cohort of New Yorkers.
"The pandemic challenged food security in unprecedented ways, Mercato's innovative work piloting online grocery benefits making healthy, affordable groceries accessible to all New Yorkers, no matter where they live. New York City is proud to innovate with technology and public benefits, and we are thrilled that Mercato recognizes this too."
Kate MacKenzie, executive director, New York City Mayor's Office of Food Policy.
Getting onto the Mercato platform was game-changing for our store and our shoppers," said Gustavo Rodriguez of Key Food Stadium, located in the Bronx. "Our sales are increasing literally every day, especially fresh produce, and the technology and service Mercato provides enables us to fulfill orders seamlessly and with the same personal attention and care that our shoppers need and deserve. It feels incredible to be feeding and helping low-income residents in our community." Mercato is looking to expand Thriving Communities by finding and collaborating with partners in other cities including Chicago, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
About Mercato
Mercato is an eCommerce and local delivery platform that provides thousands of independent grocers across the country with the tools and technologies they need to stay competitive in the marketplace. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, it was founded by Bobby Brannigan, the son of a neighborhood grocer in Brooklyn, who saw his father needed to modernize his inventory and delivery systems to stay in business and better serve his shoppers. Since launching in 2015 Mercato has brought more than 1,500 stores across the country onto the platform.
Read More
MANAGEMENT
Bwanaz | November 23, 2022
Bwanaz (JJFK Inc.), an online fusion marketplace platform that combines wholesale and retail, announces today that it has partnered with World Depot, a global supplier that boasts 65+ warehouse locations worldwide and a 500 million dollar yearly-revenue, to make wholesale affordable and easily accessible for small businesses. This gives small local businesses the opportunity to expand and grow in the marketplace. Big companies have unmatched buying power and ample resources to beat out small competitors," says John Xie, founder of Bwanaz.com (JJFK Inc.) "That's why these big companies have monopolized the market. To this day, it's been next to impossible for small businesses to flourish because they simply don't have the means to purchase wholesale in bulk the way large companies can, so wholesalers always work with the big players. It's like the rich grow richer and the poor get poorer!" John Xie continues. "But that's all about to change. With Bwanaz partnering with World Depot, we now have a way to close that gap! This partnership makes it possible for small businesses to purchase items with shockingly low wholesale prices and with small MOQ's- as little as two units! Even when combined with shipping, the total wholesale cost will still be 30% to 35%, or as much as 50% lower than what the big companies can get.
"This is revolutionary! This will change the entire existing retail and wholesale structure of our current marketplace because this will even out the playing field among the big and small players. Anybody who has tried starting a small business knows how difficult it is to promote and maintain its growth. This partnership between Bwanaz and World Depot is the solution to helping small business owners get their big break!"
Terry Tan, co-founder of Bwanaz.
On Bwanaz.com, customers can find World Depot Inc. and see all the new products that have been listed. New products have recently been introduced under categories such as home, garden, kitchen, and pet products. The Wooden Computer Gaming Desk With a Drawer, LED Patio Lights, LED Mirror, Chandelier, Throw, the Dog Car Seat, the Aluminum Hanging Basket for Flowers, and the COSVALVE Food Processor are all new additions to the website. More products are coming.
ABOUT BWANAZ
Bwanaz is a California-based e-commerce, high-tech fusion marketplace that combines wholesale and retail onto one platform. In a world where industry giants are becoming more and more prominent and crushing out small businesses, Bwanaz seeks to ensure that these small local businesses can retain a competitive edge in today's market by creating opportunities that allow them to buy less and sell more. Visit Bwanaz at www.bwanaz.com to accelerate the growth of your small business to new heights today!
Read More
MARKETING AND NETWORKING
GPS Insight | December 01, 2022
GPS Insight, a leading provider of SaaS-based fleet and field service management software solutions, today announced enhancements to its integrated Field Service Management (FSM) suite, marking significant strides towards the empowerment of both fleet and field service companies to seamlessly manage their mobile assets and mobile workforces together. Strengthening its position in an FSM market expected to grow 19% annually over the next eight years, GPS Insight laid the foundation for its integrated Field Service Management solution with the 2020 acquisition of ServiceBridge and the 2021 acquisition of FieldAware. Just recently, GPS Insight also acquired Certified Tracking Solutions, a leader in fleet and field services specializing in document digitization. Following recent FSM acquisitions, GPS Insight has demonstrated its value to fleet and field service industries at large through a list of accolades, including the Compass Intelligence 2022 IoT Vehicle Telematics Company of the Year, the Business Intelligence Group 2022 Sustainability Leadership Award, and being named a Construction Executive 2022 Top Construction Technology Firm.
"By acquiring existing best-in-class field service solutions and integrating them with our GPS fleet management technology, we're able to bring better visibility and efficiency for our customers to save them time and money, We've created a powerful roadmap that empowers our end-users while boosting our return on investment for both platforms. In short, GPS Insight is bringing fleet and field together like never before."
Shay Demmons, Chief Product Officer of GPS Insight.
The Field Service Management suite is being tailored to integrate with GPS Insight fleet management, empowering business leaders to ensure alignment among workers across both fleet and field. Significant product enhancements that support the synergy of fleet and field service management include: an app switcher to toggle between fleet and field applications; ability to schedule jobs based on technician working hours, skills, permits, etc.; long cycle crew work such as multi-visit jobs; a live map for a "command center" view of field operations; timesheets showing jobs performed, hours worked, hours traveled, and overtime earned; and to help businesses scale, a rich ecosystem of integrations with best-in-class ERP and accounting applications.
In addition to significant product updates across the Field Service Management Suite, FieldAware for Mid-Enterprise is featuring a facelift, modernizing the web app to follow best-in-class practices for displaying menus and options, refreshing web and mobile app branding to align with parent GPS Insight's robust fleet and field portfolio, and paving the way for the future of fleet and field. Effective field service management software is transforming industries, reducing errors and redundant tasks, and giving fleet managers, field technicians, and back-office operations peace of mind," added Demmons. "Companies of all sizes now see the value in digitizing operations to keep up with the competition, as well as the leap in efficiency that creates a better customer experience and boosts retention.
About GPS Insight
GPS Insight helps fleet and field service businesses by delivering innovative solutions and actionable insights. Organizations across the globe turn to GPS Insight when they have high operating costs, are worried about safety on the roads, and struggle with fleet and field inefficiencies that waste valuable time and money. GPS Insight offers best-of-breed technology for organizations with drivers and technicians in the field, fleets of vehicles, trailers, and other mobile assets. GPS Insight provides many solutions that include vehicle and asset tracking, fleet management, AI-enabled smart cameras, field service management, and regulatory compliance solutions.
Read More