Designed to solve restocking challenges in my family's market; gachi grocer connects grocers with reliable and quality restocking services from independent distributors. It also offers distributors an additional income source through lasting business connections.
Think of it as the Doordash for distributors and grocers, bridging quality products with sustainable partnerships.
Received the highest score of "Best Project" at SUNY Farmingdale State College's Interaction Design Expo.
Best Project encompasses the best design process, best UI Design & best research evaluated by industry-experienced Product Designers.
Explore nearby wagoners through Gachi Grocer's community map. grocers can effortlessly specify their preferred criteria for a wagoner tailored to their store's current-day needs.
Once specifications are set, the application displays any wagoners that meet their chosen requirements.
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Discover a wide range of diverse food products and easily add them to your basket as you shop. Since each wagon offers unique food products and prices, pick the one that suits both your market's and wallet's needs.
After adding products to your basket, you can review your restock; Select your preferred delivery time, and include any personalized drop-off instructions to ensure a seamless delivery experience.
After each delivery, you can rate and explain your rating, and leave a comment about the service. grocer's feedback is essential for quality control and building trust between themselves and wagoners.
Stay in the loop with your weekly earnings and daily payouts, cashing out hassle-free whenever it fits your schedule.
View breakdowns of every restock you've made, keeping you informed and in control of your wagon's finances.
My uncle came from South Korea to Uniondale to start a small Korean and Caribbean grocery market, driven by the goal of providing a better life for his family than he had growing up...
This small store funded my mom and her cousins' education, bringing the family here for a better future.
For immigrant grocers, owning a market is a path to generational wealth but like with any business, it comes with challenges.
To restock our market, my uncle commutes weekly to grocery wholesalers, a routine he's maintained for years despite its major long-term drawbacks. Observing his routine gave me insight into why he sticks with it.
Grocers want to inspect item quality before they actually purchase, often valuing it more than the product's price itself.
Despite the availability of direct-store delivery services that could assist my uncle, he opts to travel to various wholesalers himself to restock and save money.
My uncle's bulk buying minimizes restocking trips but causes prolonged stock shortages, leading to days or even weeks of revenue loss in the market.
Grocers, particularly those serving diverse markets, may need to visit multiple wholesalers for varied product selection and efficient restocking
Having to restock an entire market yourself can get excruciatingly difficult to maintain week to week, especially for older grocers.
While big-box supermarket chains dominate with their widespread presence and established reputation, they don't always cater to the diverse product needs of customers, particularly in ethnic neighborhoods.
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While working at the market, I met Alonzo, a local Wagon Jobber who in essence is an independent distributor who sells products exclusively from their truck.
Like my Uncle, Alonzo's earnings and the success of his business rely solely on his sales skills and efforts
I soon discovered that a small portion of the restocking efforts in the market does fall to Wagon Jobbers like Alonzo.
However, their effort and services don't always equate to the needs of the store on the day when they do choose to arrive.
When I recognized the significant role wagoners like Alonzo played in our market, I started seeing them as a potential solution to our restocking challenge. Though with this discovery I came to terms with what including wagoners in the product solution would entail.
I quickly realized that wagoners couldn't be just another feature for grocers; they were a distinct user group with their own needs that had to be addressed equally for mutual benefit.
(So pretty much, more work on my end...)
Using my primary and secondary personas, I created two problem statements to help guide Gachi's feature set and focus more on its core MVP:
An independent distributor looking to establish recurring business with local markets.
A local market owner, he struggles with the time, money, and physical effort of restocking his market.
There weren't major competitors that integrated both
parties into their solution for a more direct comparison between products.
Maybe exploring how my users currently solve their problems, along with analyzing secondary competing experiences, could help better guide my process...
I audited my uncle’s restocking process, Alonzo’s current restock routine, and delivery apps, focusing on time-to-value. For Gachi Grocer to succeed, the new process had to be faster and more accessible, giving grocers and wagoners a reason to switch.
With these insights, I began outlining several key features designed to address both the core issues faced by users and the operational inefficiencies uncovered during the audits.
Being that the grocer and wagoner would have different reasons for using the app, I drafted two early 'success routes' tailored to their unique needs.
The ideal flow for grocers would prioritize finding highly-rated wagoners who supply the products their market needs, fostering trust and ensuring quality for successful checkouts.
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I developed a series of low-fidelity wireframes based on my initial design rationales. However, as I iterated and adjusted the layouts, I began to reassess my original concepts...
