Local grocer promises delivery in 3 hours or less

When you get down to it, very few people enjoy grocery shopping.

Andre Watts was working in sales in Oklahoma City, and it occurred to him that there was a niche to fill: grocery delivery.

“Sales was something that I was good at, but I wasn’t really passionate about it,” he said. “My passion is creation and innovation.”

His idea is simple: Order from Urban Essentials Co. via a work or home computer, and for a $3 delivery fee, groceries arrive in one to three hours. Without the $3 fee, they arrive by the end of the day.

“You’ve got convenient [online] options for everything from streaming movies to paying bills,” Watts said. “That was really the start of the idea.” He talked with a friend and coworker, Femi Bash, who also was enthusiastic about working for himself.

“He has the same kind of entrepreneurial mindset, so of course we ended up working together,” Watts said. The business launched Oct. 9.

“It’s been better than we even hoped, and it’s a perfect balance right now where we’ve got a really good learning curve, but it’s steadily increasing,” Watts said.

The pair chooses grocery stores that carry a wide range of what their customers want at affordable prices. Watts said his list of stores is confidential and he has no exclusive partnerships with any retailers.

“We want to keep the prices low, and if we have a driver that never has to go too far outside of his area [to get the item], the products get to the customer a lot faster,” Watts said.

The minimum order is $30. There are thousands of items to choose from. In fact, if there’s an item that’s not available, it can be requested.

“The delivery area right now is from the top of Edmond and cuts off right at Interstate 240, but we have definite plans to expand,” Watts said.

Urban Essentials makes deliveries 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Watts said orders must be placed by 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday. There’s also a free app for iPhone and Android.

During the first two weeks of November, Urban Essentials partnered with The Free Food Pantry, Inc. and Educational Center to donate goods to our city’s most in-need residents.

Customers could either designate certain items on their list be delivered to the pantry. Customers could also donate cash through its website. Watts and Bash designated the money for perishable items. He spoke as he prepared to drop off those items.

“We had the money to buy seven turkeys for the pantry, and those can be expensive. We’re excited we can do this and help make someone else’s holiday better,” Watts said. To learn more, visit urbanessentialsco.com.

print headline: Delectable development, For those who don’t feel like shopping (or forgot the cranberry sauce for your Thanksgiving dinner), a local grocer promises delivery in three hours or less.

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