E-Commerce Platform Adds Subscription Option

Grocers utilizing the iGrabit e-commerce platform are now being offered a subscription program its creators likened to an “Amazon Prime for independents.”

Miramar, Fla.-based iGrabit is an artificial intelligence-powered online grocery ordering platform for small grocers, as well as an associated consumer shopping app.

The newly launched subscription program allows iGrabit’s partner grocers to offer a 5% or 10% discount to shoppers who use the platform to order their groceries online for pickup at participating stores in exchange for a monthly membership fee.

“The subscription program is a way for our partner-grocers to provide local shoppers an offering that's as competitive with those offered by online grocery giant Amazon through its Prime program," iGrabit founder and CEO Prem Balwani said. “Shoppers simply order their groceries from our partner-grocers using www.igrab.it, then receive the discount off the total bill, excluding disallowable items.”

Officials said two current participants in the program, Trident Supermarket of Miami Beach and Happy Foods of Chicago, are considering launching the subscription plans, for which the retailers will charge $4.99 monthly for a 5% discount, or $9.99 for a 10% discount.

Balwani said the subscription option will create loyalty among online and in-store grocery shoppers and help withstand competition from e-commerce giants such as Amazon and Walmart.

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“We’re continually looking for ways to reinvent grocery shopping, and to not only improve on our digital grocery platform, but also to come up with programs and features that serve grocers at store level as well,” Balwani said. “We believe the future of grocery retailing is bricks plus clicks. Therefore we believe adding value to retailers includes creating a seamless experience online and offline.”