The World is changing technologically and new things are happening. With the Covid-19 Outbreak, everyone is encouraged to #StayHome and #StaySafe. During this period people are told to observe social distancing as much as possible. For this to be effective, people are advised to use digital means to pay bills, make payments etc.
In light of this, Hashmar Shoppings has introduced a new mobile application called Hashmar Food Express which lets you order food from your favourite restaurant using a mobile phone.
Sales and Marketing Executive for the organization Kattie Kondowe said what actually happens is that people search on Google Play Store, install the app and complete signup.
She said that once the app is installed, you are able to find list of restaurants near you.
“Then you choose your favourite restaurant and check food menu items before placing an order. After placing an order, the restaurant receives a notification. The restaurant is able to accept or reject it depending on the availability of food. We then dispatch our riders to collect the food and deliver it to the customer. The customers also get notified of any order status so that they know what’s going on,” she said.
Kondowe however said before completing the order, a person needs to signup first.
She also said that currently they have two paying methods, namely cash on delivery or pick up.
Said Kondowe: “With cash on delivery customers pay after receiving the food whereas pick up is mainly for those who want to book in advance to avoid queuing and pay when collecting the food at the restaurant.”
The sales and marketing executive said the service is all about meeting a need that saves people’s precious time which is usually wasted queuing for food.
“It’s giving that freedom people need and with Corona Virus, it’s helping a lot of people at the moment. It enables people to order food from their offices and we deliver at their doorsteps. The response has been positive since we started but we are working on increasing awareness levels so that many people get to know and understand what we do. We are currently operating in Blantyre and Lilongwe and our plan is to reach out to all the cities,” she said.
Hashmar Food Express began operations in October last year but officially went live in February this year. Some of the available restaurants on the platform include all Kips Restaurants, Krazy Foods, Mugg & Bean, Hotspot Restaurant, Marylane, Lalala Restaurant and many others.
“And more restaurant partners are coming in soon after we finalise terms,” said Kondowe.
The mobile app is currently on Android platform and according to Kondowe, the development of iPhone version is completed and will be available on App Store early April..
