How GraceKennedy Hi-Lo Online e-commerce features MPay and Courier delivery

“The platform will also enable customers overseas to shop and have products delivered to their loved ones”

General Manager of Hi-Lo Food Stores Renee Nathan

GraceKennedy, owners of some 13 Hi-Lo stores across Jamaica, has decided it's time to get online.

They're upgrading their stores with an online portal so that Jamaicans can buy products on their website as noted in the article “Hi-Lo Going Online - Grocery-Shopping Platform, Deliveries For Next Year”, Published Sunday September 24, 2017 by Avia Collinder, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Hi-Lo's online shopping platform will go live in the fourth quarter of 2018 as pointed out by General Manager of Hi-Lo Food Stores Renee Nathan, quote: “Our focus is to be able to serve and engage our customers across multiple channels, so customers can have a great shopping experience with Hi-Lo how and when they choose”.

This is part of a $1 billion on upgrading of their key stores. This announcement was made on Thursday September 21st 2017 when they revealed their recently renovated 24,000 square-foot Portmore store. Shopper in Portmore will now enjoy a dine-in deli, a bakery and a juice bar in addition to banking at First Global Bank.

Their online website is expected to add to the revenue expected from this upgrade, to quote Renee Nathan: “We see online as a complement to existing brick-and-mortar locations, and, as such, we plan to continue to grow in both spaces. We expect for this new platform to become increasingly significant to our business over time as our customers' lives become more hectic and they seek convenient ways to shop”.

So what will this online platform mean to Hi-Lo and GraceKennedy?

Hi-Lo and GraceKennedy Online - Tapping overseas Jamaicans to expand their MPay platform

For one, it'll allow relatives abroad to buy supermarket produce for their loved ones as noted by Renee Nathan, quote: “The platform will also enable customers overseas to shop and have products delivered to their loved one”.

This hints at the use of GK MPay as a means of accepting payments along with Credit, Prepaid Debit, Paypal and other trusted online payment options. They'll also be offering home delivery services with the help of a courier company as noted by Renee Nathan, quote: “We are still developing our plans, but many of these functions will be outsourced. There will be a charge for the added convenience of delivery”.

Cross Roads store in Kingston will be upgraded in 2019 with their Spanish Town, St Catherine branch to follow. All told, they've already spent some US$5 million to date on their storewide upgrading work.

Their main rival in the same space in Jamaica, Progressive Grocers, doesn’t allow Jamaicans abroad to buy items for local pickup by their relatives. So not only will they be the first, but they'll also be tapping into the foreign exchange that they already receive as remittances. It'll also expand their MPay platform considerably.