Dija app’s 10-minute grocery delivery service launches in London

Londoners can now order groceries and have them delivered to their homes within just 10 minutes with the launch of new ultra-fast delivery service Dija. 

Founded by former Deliveroo executives Alberto Menolascina and Yusuf Saban, Dija builds on the recent success – and soaring popularity – of food and grocery delivery services. If your order doesn’t arrive in 10 minutes, Dija will deliver free for the next three months under the terms of their 10 minute turnaround guarantee.

Dija operates from hubs within the local communities it serves. Now operating in South Kensington, Fulham and Hackney, Dija will have opened 20 further hubs covering central London and Zone 2 by the summer. The Dija app can be found on the Apple App Store and will shortly also be available for Android.  

Alberto Menolascina, cofounder and CEO, Dija, said: “Gone are the days of fighting for online slots, damaged goods and disappointing substitutions. Dija is here to change every hassle we experience with the weekly shop. 

Huge growth ahead of summer

Up to 40% of daily orders are placed by returning customers and the service is top rated by 95% of customers, resulting in 300% order growth since launch. For busy parents balancing work and homeschooling or those who are self-isolating, the trials have given customers a new safe and reliable way to buy and receive high-quality groceries and snacks. 

With 20 hubs covering areas including Clapham, Wandsworth, Acton, Islington, Mayfair, Stockwell and Clerkenwell due to open by summer, more than 3M Londoners will be able to access Dija.

“We are making this time-consuming and unsatisfactory experience simple, speedy and reliable. Dija combines brilliant execution with bespoke technology to create an exceptional experience for customers across the UK, freeing up their time and energy by delivering what consumers want, when they want it.”

To guarantee speed, Dija’s hubs are located within densely populated urban areas, enabling them to deliver within 10 minutes. To guarantee reliability, each hub carries more than 2,000 products sold at recommended retail prices. Dija uses data to improve efficiency and spot buying patterns so that its customers do not have to put up with substitutions or missing items. 

Dija is investing in its own fleet of e-bikes to improve the sustainability of the delivery service and is making the safety and working conditions of its workers a priority from the outset, with vehicles, bags and uniforms chosen to keep delivery riders and drivers safe and visible on the streets. 

Investment in the booming delivery industry

Even before the pandemic turbocharged the food delivery market, grocery delivery apps and platforms had been rising in popularity and the market is predicted to be worth $117B by 2023. Consumers are embracing online shopping like never before, with research from Capgemini suggesting that 56% of UK consumers expect to get online deliveries at least once a week by 2021. 

In the past three months, investors have put hundreds of millions of dollars into food delivery apps and rapid delivery grocery startups. Dija raised $20M at the end of December from Blossom Capital, Creandum, Index Ventures. Dija’s funding will allow the startup to invest in building its team and the operational and technological infrastructure that underpin its offering. 

Ophelia Brown, cofounder at Blossom Capital, said: “Dija has the potential to be a $100`b+ company. It puts the needs of its customers, and the expectations of an increasing digital market, at the heart of everything it does. 

“Alberto and Yusuf’s experience is integral to their perspective on how to create a viable solution to the problems with grocery shopping and it’s one that millions of people stand to benefit from across the globe. We look forward to partnering with them on this journey.”

Menolascina was director of corporate strategy and Yusuf Saban was chief of staff to the CEO at Deliveroo, which is expected to list shortly. Menolascina also co-founded Everli, a same-day grocery delivery company in Italy, and more recently served as a senior executive at REEF Technology.