Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people struggled to get the groceries they needed when they wanted them. Grocery shopping and delivery services such as InstaCart had issues with shoppers not being available due to the sudden influx of people using the app, and Amazon Fresh delivery had weeks of backorders. Many items were marked as “out of stock” online even when they were in stock in the physical store, and vice versa. This made online shopping for groceries frustrating and fruitless for many people. Furthermore, we talked to many people who mentioned needing one or two specific items urgently, but were unwilling or unable to make a trip to the store for just those items. With food and groceries being an essential shopping necessity, we realized that the core problem lied in people needing to physically go to grocery stores due to inconsistent availability with online grocery shopping, but wanting to minimize the number of times they went out.

From our initial needfinding, we developed the idea of Groceria, an app that brings communities together by pooling grocery runs. Groceria allows for a more coordinated and efficient shopping experience by encouraging users to shop for their neighbors while also shopping for themselves. Our main goal behind this app was to provide a platform in which people could give and receive help during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Specifically, our target audience was three-pronged: at-risk individuals, college students, and more generally, families/neighbors. By using our app, at-risk and immuno-compromised individuals would be able to receive their groceries without risking their health by physically visiting the store. Groceria would also help many college students who remained on campus but did not have cars or other means of transportation to visit grocery stores easily. Finally, families and other community members who live in close proximity would be able to help each other out, allowing for neighborhood bonding during a difficult time.