Rapid grocery delivery startup Buyk launches in Chicago
Buyk, a startup that promises grocery delivery from dark store to doorstep within 15 minutes, has launched its service in Chicago with plans for further expansion across various US geographies in 2022.
The company was founded by Slava Bocharov and Rodion Shishkov. The pair also co-founded Samokat, Russia’s largest grocery delivery company, in 2018 before selling their stake to fund Buyk.
Following its launch in New York City three months ago, Buyk will begin operations in Chicago with six dark stores, bringing the total to 35 stores across both cities.
In Chicago the service will initially cover the Wicker Park, Bucktown, Old Irving Park, Ravenswood, Sheffield Neighbors, and Logan Square neighborhoods. Buyk plans to open another 14 dark stores in the city by the end of Q1’22.
James Walker, CEO at Buyk, which raised $46 million in a funding round ahead of its launch, says: “Chicago is where trends, especially in retail, become mainstream.”
“This is why Buyk has chosen the Windy City as the next frontier to disrupt the way Americans get their groceries. We hope that unbeatable delivery speed and quality of products become as synonymous with our brand name as deep dish pizza is with Chicago.”
He adds: “We want to capture this growth momentum and bring this technology not just to big bicoastal metropolises to which so many advancements are limited in the United States.”
“We want to take instant grocery delivery in the US inland, and our technology, smart unit economics and lean growth strategies will help make this a reality.”
