# Bother attacks the antiquated supermarket model Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2020-11-09 Category: BUSINESS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/business Meta Title: Bother: The Solution to Your Grocery Shopping Woes! Meta Description: Discover a new digital retailer in the UK offering convenient household essentials delivery, freeing up time and reducing stress during COVID-19 and beyond. URL: https://financedigest.com/bother-attacks-the-antiquated-supermarket-modelhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/untitled-design-1736838735185-compressed.jpg) _**As panic buying kickstarts again, a new digital retailer hits the UK, offering Brits a solution to the pain points of the weekly shop during COVID-19 and beyond**_ The nation is gearing up for the second lockdown to hit the UK this year. Reports show the start of a potential repetition of long queues, vanishing delivery slots and empty shelves, illustrating a general inability of supermarkets to cope with increasing demand and failing supply. However, according to Doug Morton, founder of new household delivery service, Bother, these inefficiencies were here long before the COVID-19 outbreak, with the pandemic simply shining a light and acting as a catalyst to the [urgent need](https://www.financedigest.com/why-the-us-urgently-needs-media-compliance-auditing.html "Why the US urgently needs media compliance auditing") for reform of the outdated, traditional UK supermarket business model. Grocery shopping as we know it hasn’t [changed since the 1960s when customers needed](https://www.financedigest.com/change-is-inevitable-how-banks-need-to-adapt-to-customers-new-banking-habits.html "Change is inevitable – how banks need to adapt to customers’ new banking habits") somewhere they could go to get everything in one place – a one stop shop. However, this isn’t reflective of how we live our lives now. There is no need for our lemons to be stored with our dishwasher tablets, we don’t need to spend hours scrolling through hundreds of variations of washing powders or attempt the weekly supermarket and have to carry heavy bags home.  The way we shop now is massively inefficient for our wallets, our time and for the environment. Research\* actually found that we are now a generation of subscription users –at least 57 per cent of Brits have a subscription. This just goes to show the upward trend we’re likely to see in the [coming years](https://www.financedigest.com/veterinary-tables-market-rise-to-meet-large-demand-in-coming-years-fact-mr-study.html "Veterinary Tables Market Rise To Meet Large Demand In Coming Years, Fact.MR Study"), with people opting to shop fresh and locally for every day food items, whilst letting subscription services take control of the boring bits. This will allow us more time to focus on the more important aspects of our [day to day lives](https://www.financedigest.com/freedom-day-sydney-reopens-as-australia-looks-to-live-with-covid-19.html "‘Freedom Day’: Sydney reopens as Australia looks to live with COVID-19"). No other national supermarket prioritises this. This is where Bother comes in, as a household tool which is [set to shake up the UK market](https://www.financedigest.com/sodium-formate-market-set-to-surge-significantly-during-2019-2027.html "Sodium Formate Market Set to Surge Significantly During 2019-2027 "). The premise is simple: shop local for your fresh goods, and Bother will take [care of the boring household](https://www.financedigest.com/increasing-household-expenditure-on-pet-care-to-amplify-demand-of-dog-bathing-systems-market-fact-mr-report.html "Increasing Household Expenditure on Pet Care to Amplify Demand of Dog Bathing Systems Market: Fact.MR Report") basics – from baked beans to loo roll to tampons. During the first wave of COVID-19, at Bother we expedited our plan to launch, offering essential supplies to key workers and the NHS in an effort to [relieve pressure](https://www.financedigest.com/how-communication-technology-can-help-relieve-pressure-on-staff-in-the-financial-services-sector.html "How communication technology can help relieve pressure on staff in the financial services sector ") where it was needed most. Six [months later and a full nationwide launch](https://www.financedigest.com/pollen-vc-launches-first-live-lending-facility-for-app-and-game-makers-enabling-them-to-borrow-4x-their-monthly-revenues.html "Pollen VC launches first live lending facility for app and game makers, enabling them to borrow 4x their monthly revenues") under our belt, Bother is growing by 200%+ week on week, which continues to gather speed. However, this [exponential growth](https://www.financedigest.com/the-automotive-interior-surface-lighting-market-dynamics-to-take-an-exponential-growth-turn.html "The Automotive Interior Surface Lighting Market Dynamics To Take An Exponential Growth Turn") is not a direct result of the COVID outbreak, which instead simply highlighted some of the gaps within the market where there are broader, more ingrained issues. **Taking the Bother out of shopping** How we [shop has changed](https://www.financedigest.com/how-brands-can-adapt-marketing-tactics-to-better-suit-customers-changing-shopping-habits.html "How brands can adapt marketing tactics to better suit customers’ changing shopping habits") tenfold in the last few years. Yes, Ocado, Amazon, all of these major brands do offer household products at the touch of a button. In fact, you could spend hours upon hours scrolling through – comparing prices, sizes, brands, scents, offers, but this is where we see issue. The sheer choice that customers are [faced with every day makes shopping](https://www.financedigest.com/christmas-shopping-begins-early-as-britons-face-cash-crunch.html "Christmas shopping begins early as Britons face cash crunch") for the easy things actually very confusing. We want to simplify that choice. There are certain things that you don’t want to have to spend ages choosing, you just want the same thing [every time](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-nail-your-banking-audition-every-time.html "How to nail your banking audition every time"). We see this mostly with washing detergents, liquids, hand soaps and toiletries. Bother curates the best brands for the best price. An algorithm [driving its unique Bother Brain™ predicts when customers](https://www.financedigest.com/rationalfx-drives-customer-acquisition-with-regtech-platform-from-trunarrative.html "RationalFX drives customer acquisition with RegTech platform from TruNarrative") are running out of household items and creates a shopping basket which reminds them to replenish. Customers can edit and add to their basket but have already [saved](https://www.financedigest.com/modernisation-of-insurance-technology-saves-invaluable-time-and-money.html "Modernisation of insurance technology saves invaluable time and money") a significant amount of time by not having to create their basket from scratch each time. We are seen as a household management tool, that lives in homes, lives on phones, and takes away the unnecessary [time lost on remembering to buy](https://www.financedigest.com/buying-a-house-for-the-first-time.html "Buying a house for the first time") the boring bits, or figure out which deal is better than another online. We simplify household shopping so our customers can win back this time to focus on the things that really matter. **Better for our time, pockets, and the environment** Not only is saving customers time and money at the heart of everything Bother is about, but we are also committed to the environment and improving the negative impact shopping has on our [carbon footprint](https://www.financedigest.com/coca-cola-digital-ad-campaigns-use-seenthis-streaming-technology-to-avoid-excessive-carbon-footprint.html "Coca-Cola Digital Ad Campaigns Use SeenThis Streaming Technology to Avoid Excessive Carbon Footprint"). Right now, how we shop is massively inefficient for the environment – this is mostly in the storage and delivery. It might surprise some to learn that when purchasing perishable fresh food alongside non-perishable foods, fresh products need to be wrapped in plastic. This plastic alone is responsible for more than 50% of the unrecycled plastic waste in the UK. This is what sets us apart at Bother- unlike supermarkets, the delivery vans do not require refrigeration, so are fit for purpose, and products are transported in an environmentally friendly [cardboard box](https://www.financedigest.com/ds-smith-says-cardboard-box-volumes-strong-flags-higher-costs.html "DS Smith says cardboard box volumes strong; flags higher costs") with no unnecessary extra plastic. Another important aspect of shopping that needs to be looked at is in box economics. Whilst the average Amazon order will see 1.3 products per box, we are already seeing an average of 15 items per box. We don’t want [customers to feel like they need](https://www.financedigest.com/3-reasons-your-business-needs-customer-reviews.html "3 reasons your business needs customer reviews") to order a box from us every day, or even every week. Our aim is for customers to receive an average of one box a month which will contain all of the household goods they need until the [next](https://www.financedigest.com/prince-harry-and-meghan-to-visit-britain-next-month.html "Prince Harry and Meghan to visit Britain next month") arrives the following month, and gradually reduce our customers average household carbon footprint. The way we [see shopping is that buying fresh food and shopping for our household are two completely separate entities that need](https://www.financedigest.com/boes-pill-sees-need-for-further-interest-rate-rises.html "BoE’s Pill sees need for further interest rate rises") separate mentalities. Already, even before the [COVID outbreak](https://www.financedigest.com/n-korea-reports-first-covid-outbreak-orders-lockdown-in-gravest-emergency.html "N.Korea reports first COVID outbreak, orders lockdown in “gravest emergency”"), there was an upwards trend towards supporting local suppliers and producers, alongside new subscription services such as recipes boxes. The [market showed that people were already pivoting to bring back localism](https://www.financedigest.com/foolproof-local-marketing-strategies-for-small-businesses.html "Foolproof Local Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses") in their daily shops, and to use their local butchers or green grocers to buy fresh ingredients. In fact, [research found that the market](https://www.financedigest.com/car-rental-service-market-is-forecasted-to-grow-at-a-7-2-cagr-by-2031-comprehensive-research-report-by-fmi.html "Car Rental Service Market is forecasted to grow at a 7.2% CAGR By 2031- Comprehensive Research Report by FMI") value of subscription services will be up to £1 billion by 2022 as customers let these services handle the more time-consuming aspects of their lives and help them to shop more efficiently.  We want to [support this mentality – to support the independent shops and encourage our customers](https://www.financedigest.com/why-now-is-the-time-for-banks-to-use-their-data-to-support-customers.html "Why now is the time for banks to use their data to support customers") to buy fresh ingredients local and for everything else, choose Bother. [People shouldn’t need](https://www.financedigest.com/britain-says-6000-more-people-needed-for-trial-of-merck-covid-pill.html "Britain says 6,000 more people needed for trial of Merck COVID pill") to go into a store every few days because they forgot to get the washing up liquid, they’ve run out of dishwasher tablets – multiple trips, multiple times a week. Our ethos is simple, to rid the world of boring shopping, help the environment, make lives easier. We Bother, so you don’t have to.” --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---