Coming home to Bermuda from Canada was a bit of a culture shock for Stefanny Sanchez. She was used to doing almost everything by phone – ordering food, catching a ride.

“In Canada you can open a bank account online, although they still vet you,” she said.

She was surprised when she filled out an online application for a Bermuda bank and was then asked to go to their head office. Bank staff printed out a paper application, highlighted certain areas and asked her for information she had already filled in, online.

“Bermuda is a little behind the curve on these services,” she said.

Now, she is enjoying pushing things forward, as the new chief operating officer at DropIt, a grocery delivery service working in conjunction with the Lindo’s Group.

Ms Sanchez polished her skills in Canada after graduating from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, eight years ago.

She was working as an information management analyst with Walmart’s e-commerce platform when the pandemic hit in March 2020.

As part of the digital content team, her job shifted to accelerating grocery delivery, as demand in Canada shot up by at least 500 per cent, because of social distancing rules.

“We worked with lots of engineering teams and software developers to make the process faster,” she said. “Even in Canada, we were not as set up as we are today for the massive amount of users that started online grocery shopping during Covid.”

Today, the need for grocery delivery in Bermuda has lessened but it is still much more desirable than it was before 2020.

Ms Sanchez acknowledged that the price of food in Bermuda has shot up in recent years, making grocery delivery pricey, for some people.

However, she said that those who want the service are willing to pay the premium, because they value their time and the convenience.

“It is a premium service,” she said. “More people are enjoying the convenience. It helps a lot of people to save time.”

She said grocery delivery was vital for people without transportation, particularly senior citizens.

“Bermuda’s ageing population is a growing concern for providing goods and services in the future,” she said. “We already get quite a few seniors who order from us due to transportation or health issues. Expanding access will be important for Bermuda’s future.”

Time is our most valuable asset, and DropIt is committed to helping customers reclaim theirs, she said.

“Whether you are a busy professional, a parent balancing work and home life or even a visitor to our beautiful island, DropIt is dedicated to providing an effortless, high-end grocery shopping experience.”

Under her leadership, the company looks forward to expanding its offerings, improving operational efficiencies, and introducing new innovations to enhance the customer experience.

“I see myself working with different partners to build out online platforms in Bermuda,” she said.