A year and a half into operations, the English Market grocery store in Hamilton is launching a delivery app.

“We want to reach everyone on the island,” managing director Fabio Iannone said. “All our customers have to do to get groceries delivered is download the app called English Market Store, do their shopping, type their address in and we will deliver on the same day.”

He decided to release the app because their location on the ground floor of the Washington Mall on Church Street in Hamilton can be challenging for some customers because there is no parking area specifically for the grocery store. It works when shoppers are grabbing a few items, but is more difficult for larger shopping runs.

However, Mr Iannone said, being in the centre of town was the best place for the English Market to start out, as a new business. Many of their clients work in the surrounding offices.

He did not rule out moving in the future, or opening in a second location.

“First I need to learn the business here more,” he said. “I want it to be perfect.”

Mr Iannone said the hardest thing about implementing the delivery app is just keeping track of everything in the store.

“We have over 2,000 items,” he said. “We have to keep the app updated. It is going to be a bit hard, but it can be done.”

They have hired staff specifically to help with this task.

Mr Iannone said the business has been growing every month since he founded it in July 2021.

“We have Bermudian and non-Bermudian customers,” he said, “and we have younger people and older people. We have people who come in the morning to grab a few things and then in the afternoon more of our customers are doing their daily or weekly shopping. We also see a lot of people during the lunch hour because we serve hot food.”

He previously worked in the restaurant industry.

“The grocery business is definitely harder,” he admitted. “But I am learning as time goes by.”

When Mr Iannone first started The English Market, he wanted a high-end store, but quickly turned that model around, realising that, with food costs skyrocketing in Bermuda, people were looking for more affordable food.

“Last year, before Thanksgiving, food prices went up,” Mr Iannone said. “Then they came down again, but not by a lot.”

For the next month, app users will receive a 5 per cent discount. There is also a 10 per cent discount on Tuesdays in the store.