Kenya’s Eastmatt supermarket chain, which targets less wealthy middle class Kenyan consumers, has rolled out an SMS-based “pick and go” shopping service in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The service is designed to target consumers who want to use supermarkets but do not have a smartphone or internet access.

The new service is designed to fill a gap left by those retailers that have moved to ecommerce solutions, leaving behind consumers with disposable income but who use feature phones. The process works by allowing the customer to text the products that they want. After submitting their selection, EastMatt sends the customer a quotation for payment via Mpesa, the popular digital money service. Customers can then come into the store and pick their orders within one hour. In addition, Eastmatt customers within Nairobi’s CBD and people living within 1km an Eastmatt supermarket will get free deliveries.

In March, Kenya’s #2 chain, Tuskys, announced its partnership with logistics startup Sendy to enable it make door to door deliveries for its customers. Sendy operates in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda and works with companies including Jumia, Copia, Unilever, DHL, Maersk and Safaricom. Carrefour, which now has eight supermarkets in Kenya, has been working with African online retail leader Jumia since November 2018 to offer an online grocery service.