After five years in business, delivery company Sargasso Sea has become a household name.

Some 30,000 have subscribed to the app.

Everything from beauty products and dog beds to sushi and bananas can be locally ordered and delivered using their app. They launched a sister business – grocery delivery operation Pronto.

Starting the original business in 2019 was far from easy. “We experienced plenty of rejection,” chief executive Colin Rego told The Royal Gazette.

The first 50 businesses he offered his delivery service to, turned him down, not seeing a need for his option.

But the pandemic changed that. Unable to offer table service or in-store sales during lockdowns and social distancing, many businesses suddenly saw a need for Sargasso. Today, the delivery service works with 175 local businesses.

“The pandemic was our greatest challenge, but also our biggest opportunity,” Mr Rego said.

For the first two years, he made a lot of deliveries himself. Today, he has a fleet of 150 drivers and that number is growing.

“I still do deliveries during holidays and to keep a pulse check with the overall experience,” he said.

Mr Rego feels Sargasso proves the gig-economy model in Bermuda.

“It not only enables the creation of more jobs but also offer workers flexible earning opportunities,” Mr Rego said. “We are incredibly grateful for the support we have received from our loyal customers, partners, and the entire Bermuda community over the past five years. As we look ahead, we remain committed to delivering excellence and continuing to innovate to meet the evolving needs of our customers. This also means continuing to extend our offering to new categories such as groceries, health, beauty, fashion, cultural items and other retail services”.

To celebrate their fifth anniversary, Sargasso is launching a marketing campaign with several discounts to its customers as well as a revamp of its loyalty programme.

“We are now at 10 Park Road after consolidation efforts with our sister company Pronto,” Mr Rego said. “We are back in the heart of the city and bringing both companies together under one roof to streamline processes and operations, creating a more collaborative unison between the brands and relative teams.”