These past months, we’ve witnessed a significant rise in local businesses and food establishments going online to adapt to the “new normal” where people are still choosing to self-isolate at home rather than head out to purchase their meals and essentials.
But what about all the small brick-and-mortar shops that previously thrived in having a long line of customers every day? Filipino startup QFri Technologies is working towards giving them a much brighter future amid the rapid changes through its new mobile application, QFri Storefront.
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QFri Storefront helps businesses set up their own online shop to receive orders and have them scheduled for delivery or curbside pick-up. What differentiates them from already existing platforms is how it targets customers within the immediate vicinity of the establishment.
“Technology is hard, expensive, and most of the time not accessible to MSMEs. Even large corporations have issues adapting to emerging technologies. QFri was built on the fundamental idea that technology as an empowering tool should be easy, affordable, and accessible especially to those that need it the most. In the most basic sense, we wanted lines and counters gone in stores,” said Fritzgheven Duco, Founder of QFri Technologies.
“We hope that in this pandemic we can help businesses stay afloat with a smartphone and a little bit of an upgrade on how they do business. As a consumer myself, safety is paramount, and if we can keep commercial activity at pre-pandemic levels even with social distancing then that’s a win for the community,” he continued.
QFri Storefront will be on preview release from July 1 to August 30, during which any business in the Philippines will be able to use it for free. It will be available on Google Play.
DISCLOSURE: QFri itself does not handle delivery services but it encourages businesses to utilize the very vibrant local logistics and delivery market in the Philippines.
(ALSO READ: Left Home to Do Groceries? Here’s What You Should Do Before Re-Entering Your House)
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