By The Canadian Press
A Skip Express Lane location in Winnipeg is shown in this undated handout image. (SKIPTHEDISHES / HANDOUT)
WINNIPEG — SkipTheDishes is testing a new business model to help it sell household goods and groceries directly to customers.
The delivery service’s new offering called Skip Express Lane has two locations that operate like a ghost kitchen, where sales are made solely through an app.
However, the Skip Express Lane locations in Winnipeg and London, Ont. are run completely by SkipTheDishes and focus on household items, snacks, groceries and local delicacies instead of hot meals.
SkipTheDishes says it is pursuing the model because it saw demand for convenience and grocery orders increase by 900 per cent over the last year as people stayed home to quell the spread of COVID-19.
Skip Express Lane locations sell more than 1,500 items like frozen food, soft drinks, meat, cereals, and pet items alongside baking ingredients, office and party supplies and personal care items.
The service promises to deliver all orders within 25 minutes and operates daily from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. with delivery fees starting at $1.99 or free for those making purchases over $25.
