Instant-Delivery Service Buyk Takes a Bigger Bite Out of the Big Apple

Online grocer Buyk (pronounced "bike"), which promises grocery delivery from its microwarehouses in 15 minutes or less, said it has expanded into Brooklyn, Queens and Bronx after the service's launch in Manhattan in September. 

With the expansion, Buyk now operates 20 dark stores in New York City, where it competes with other rapidly growing ultrafast delivery services, including Jokr, Fridge No More and Gorillas. Buyk touts an assortment of fresh groceries and household essentials from leading national and international brands as well as local producers.

Looking to reach all five of New York City's boroughs and then other large metropolitan areas across the U.S., the expansion announced Thursday "represents a major first step to realizing these exciting plans," Buyk stated in a news release. 

See also: Fast Delivery, Even Faster Expansion for U.S. Microgrocers

Buyk co-founders Slava Bocharov and Rodion Shishkov became early players in the "instant-delivery" grocery space in 2018 with their launch of Samokat ("scooter" in Russian), which grew rapidly to capture nearly 6% of Russia's online grocery market from 2019 to 2020, WGB reported this summer. Buyk raised $46 million (USD) ahead of its debut this fall.

"We see huge potential for future growth in the ultrafast sector, as online channels continue to represent just a small share of the total grocery market," Bocharov said in the release, adding that Buyk "intends to lead the way in this transition from offline to online."

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