Vancouver’s First Contactless Grocery Store Delivers the Goods

In the parking lot of a carpet store, stuffed between car dealerships near the east end of Terminal Avenue, sits a white shipping container.

Inside you’ll find a bevy of carefully curated provisions from some of Vancouver’s most heralded food producers and Saba Marzara, co-founder of Fed, a nutrition startup that provides Metro Vancouverites with homemade, healthy meals.

Just before the COVID-19 pandemic came to Canada, Marzara and her team were discussing the potential of establishing a bricks and mortar grocery shop. Once the virus hit, plans for a drive-through operation seemed like a no-brainer and, when it debuts on Thursday, July 2, it’ll be the first of its kind in Vancouver.

“We were thinking that people were still dealing with the headaches of getting deliveries, even in COVID, and how we could make that simpler,” Marzara recalls. “People can still hit the grocery store at the last minute, but they might have to wait in line a bit. When you’re in your car, it’s a safe space, and after you can just head on home.”

Indeed, it’s quite easy. Drivers can pre-order and grab their goods or they can simply download the menu while outside the container and place an order right there. Customers then drive forward to collect their groceries from a latch at the end, meant to align with the trunk of the car.

The container is located a few steps from Fed’s own kitchen and is stocked with some of the city’s higher-end goodies. We’re talking bread and cookies from Nelson the Seagull, sausages and burgers from Two Rivers and dairy-free yogurt from Yoggu.

There’s also everything else you’ll need to fill out your grocery list, along with some of the store’s own creations, like sundried tomato hummus and triple berry parfaits.

Fed’s grocery store opens Thursday, July 2. Just keep your eyes peeled for it. You can check out the menu here.

Credit: Courtesy of Fed