The Estonian startup Bolt, which is known mainly for operating an alternative taxi service, will launch a new service in the Czech Republic. Bolt Market will start delivering food and hygiene products within fifteen minutes of ordering. “We are going to launch it in the coming months not only in the Czech Republic, but also in other Central European countries,” Jakub Dvořák, the company’s country manager, said.
Bolt has significantly expanded its portfolio in the last year. Last year, in the first days of the pandemic, he prepared the Bolt Food service without preparation, ie the delivery of food from restaurants that the government closed for several months due to the spreading coronavirus. “It simply came to our notice then. Today, Bolt Food is not only in Prague, but also in Brno, Ostrava and Olomouc, we are planning other cities and the service is hugely popular, “says Dvořák.
Now Bolt is entering another market segment that has grown significantly during the pandemic. Food delivery. “We will have a lot of small warehouses located around the city and we will use the current courier network to be able to deliver it within fifteen minutes from the moment you click the order button,” describes the basic principle of Dvorak. “We see that there is a great demand for it in the world and we find it interesting to fight for this demand and use the know-how from other services we offer,” he adds.
“While today the courier will bring it to you on the same or the next day when you order it, we will be able to do it within 15 minutes,” explains the head of Bolt in the Czech Republic, the main added value that the new service is supposed to bring. It should be about food and basic hygiene needs, Bolt Market does not want to compete with other services on the market such as Košík or Rohlík by spreading the offer, but precisely by speed.
Delivery will be provided by existing couriers and drivers using Bolt applications. This could be a problem for the new service, as the entire segment has been experiencing a shortage of drivers in recent months, leading to higher prices due to growing demand for the release of pandemic measures. In recent months, Bolt has been attracting new drivers to a 25,000 entry bonus.
The Czech market should be one of the first where Bolt launches the service. If the service proves successful, Bolt Market will gradually expand to other cities where Bolt operates, such as Brno, Olomouc or Ostrava. In recent months, Bolt has expanded significantly in the Czech Republic, in addition to food delivery and alternative taxi services, the Estonian startup also operates shared electric bicycles and scooters in the Czech Republic.