Moscow, 19 May 2021 – X5 Retail Group, a leading Russian food retailer that operates the Pyaterochka, Perekrestok, and Karusel retail chains, has launched its Okolo-branded delivery aggregator for food and ready-to-eat meals, in new geographies outside of Moscow and the Moscow region. Okolo is now available in St Petersburg, Voronezh, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Krasnodar and Rostov-on-Don. Okolo’s universal mobile app available in the App Store and Google Play, already features offers from X5 stores.
The Okolo app leverages a hyperlocal consumption model, with food and ready-to-eat meals delivered from the nearest stores, restaurants, and cafés. Today, Okolo offers the entire range of products available in X5 stores that can be sold online. Orders are delivered on the same day, from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm or 7:00 am to 11:00 pm, depending on the store. The average delivery from Pyaterochka or Perekrestok, which costs RUB 99, takes about 45 minutes.
"The launch of Okolo, X5’s own express delivery aggregator outside Moscow and the Moscow region is a key milestone in rolling out one of the most popular services among consumers. With our universal mobile app, we can be close to each of our customers and help them out whatever the circumstances, be it an unexpected guest dropping in or an official dinner party. The technology platform we have developed enables us to track inventories and connect new stores to the express delivery service within a matter of hours, which is especially important for an effective roll out," commented Vladimir Kholyaznikov, FoodTech Director at X5 Retail Group.
Okolo engages partners, including professional courier services specialising in food. These partners responsible for hiring couriers and drawing up their schedules. Okolo uses a single digital platform to hand the orders over to courier services, which handle the delivery in line with the target service standards.