A Morris County man who lost his job because of the COVID-19 pandemic has now started a business shopping for people who are not able to go to the grocery store.
Many New Jerseyans say that they are uncomfortable shopping for groceries because they are worried about exposure to the virus. Others have underlying health conditions that make going out in public dangerous. Kevin Carroll will go buy those people's food at any store that they want.
“I do around 12 deliveries a day myself, which takes me from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.,” Carroll says.
Carroll says that he is either shopping, loading or delivering groceries in his car. He calls the business
Pink Grocery Cart.
“When you’re able to bring food to someone that needs food, especially the elderly, you know it’s more rewarding than anybody could think of,” he says.
How does it work? Customers can send Carroll a text with their grocery lists and they will have the groceries the next day.
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“It’s a click-and-pay. We ask for a $100 grocery deposit upfront,” he says.
On the invoice, there will be a shopper fee – this is how Carroll gets paid.
“I get paid anywhere from $35-50 depending on how big your list is,” he says.
Carroll says that what differs from other food delivery services is that there is not any subscription fee. He says that customers will also be helping out the “little guy” – Pink Grocery Cart is a one-man operation at the moment. But Carroll says that he does plan on hiring another shopper next week.
Carroll says that he is waiting to see if the business model will last past the pandemic.