Will You Be Mine? Love, Gorillas
Quick intro: Gorillas was founded in Berlin and arrived to serve the U.S. via New York City in spring 2021. Reached unicorn status 9 months after its 2020 launch.
Each review will look at the following:
💻 📱mobile/website ordering experience
⏲️ order to door time
💰 delivery fee
💲promotions
💝 delights
📝 feedback
Signing up in the app was easy, they asked for my address, phone number and email. Their opening screen is very upscale and only shows produce which seems a bit aspirational (and they aren’t selling most of the items in the pic from what I could see).
One thing I really liked was the introductory email with detailed information about what they offer, how to order, how to apply a promo code AND $20 off my first 3 orders.
The interface for shopping was very easy to navigate, there’s 42 tiles to choose from including “New York Local” and my personal favorite “SALE.”
Being in a hotel (and not my own place with a kitchen), I skipped the fruits & vegetables and ordered local snacks and cold brew coffee (Gorillas: if you are reading this recommend you up your offerings in the ready to drink coffee category).
Gorillas notes which items are not available with a “Back soon!” message.
Prices were fair, and the delivery fee was a nominal $1.80. Rider tip was not automatically added, which is different than most of the other services.
Order-to-door was 12 minutes. Email receipt and order details in the app (including delivery time). Arrived in a branded kraft bag.
My order was correct, which is not always the case in my grocery ordering experience and nothing was out of stock.
End of story? Nope, there’s some effort to show me they want to retain me as a customer
Delighter #1: a handwritten note welcoming me and alerting me to the $20 referral bonus.
Delighter #2: A Fine & Raw chocolate bar with a custom Gorillas wrap. I was smitten by this gesture. Fine & Raw is based in Brooklyn and working with a local small business gave me the sense that Gorillas is supporting the community they serve.
After ordering I got a survey email (a link to a Google doc which seemed a bit elementary for a unicorn startup) with some basic questions regarding satisfaction. It ended with a request for a review. They have 4.8 stars in the App Store with over 1400 reviews.
Since ordering from Gorillas a week ago I have received one push notification about 10 cent bananas (not enough to make me order again).
Overall, I was pleased with Gorillas and they would be in contention for my go-to based on their customer experience.
