GoPuff promises ‘fastest delivery on the planet’ of groceries — and NYC pols vow crackdown
Fast delivery grocery app Gopuff introduced a 20-minute delivery promise – and Big Apple pols just as quickly vowed to push back because of safety concerns, The Post has learned
The Philadelphia-based company rolled out a new service for subscribers Tuesday that “promises delivery in under 20 minutes for just $1.49/order,” in what it described as the “fastest delivery on the planet.”
However, city lawmakers in 2022 waged war on too-speedy delivery services – which had pedestrians dodging the motorized scooters or being blindsided by bikers traveling against traffic on one-way streets.
City Councilman Christopher Marte (D-FiDi) had introduced a bill that made it illegal to advertise a 15-minute delivery guarantee, but the proposal languished.
“Gopuff’s announcement shows the importance of why we need to do something and act fast because they are taking advantage of the delay in the government’s [response],” Marte (D-FiDi) told The Post on Wednesday.
He described the increasingly faster deliveries as “irresponsible.”
Fellow City Council member Gale Brewer (D-Manhattan) called the 20-minute promise “outrageous.”
“We are all trying to get the delivery people to slow down,” Brewer told The Post.
In 2019, a 41-year-old woman was killed while crossing a Midtown street by a bicyclist on a delivery run for Postmates.
Marte plans to reintroduce the stalled bill next week, he told The Post.
“It’s super dangerous for everyone who interacts with these delivery workers, including pedestrians and vehicles who drive next to them,” he said.
Gopuff said the 20-minute guarantee – called FAM20 – is the result of new technology it installed in its fulfillment centers that allows its staff to more quickly package goods.
“We take the City Council’s 15-minute guarantee legislation very seriously,” Gopuff Senior Vice President Daniel Folkman told The Post.
“In fact, we have met with Council members about this issue, and as a result of those conversations, improved our process within the four walls of our buildings to offer faster overall delivery times for our customers without requiring any changes to how delivery partners operate.”
The service is available to subscribers who pay $7.99 monthly or an $80 annual fee in exchange for free deliveries and discounts on everything from tomato sauce, laundry detergent and trash bags.
Marte first trotted out his bill after a bevy of start-ups like Gopuff promised 10 minute-deliveries.
Many of those companies have since flamed out, including Buyk, Joker and Fridge No More.
Even Doordash ended its foray into fast delivery last July, according to a Business Insider report.
Gopuff is the largest one left in the city, which also is serviced by Gorrillas and Getir.
