The international shipping industry is under siege by the tech world. Fleet and Flexport are just a few of the companies hopping into the space, but entrant Grabr is taking a different approach with a marketplace powered by individuals.
The company is launching a peer-to-peer marketplace via web and iOS app, letting travelers bid on orders to deliver items that are difficult to ship internationally.
Some examples include rainbow bagels from New York, Valentino bags and the limited edition Yeezy Boost for lower than market price, Sephora and Macy’s beauty products from the U.S. into Europe and Asia where they aren’t available, among many others.
For the person seeking a delivery, all they have to do is log on to Grabr and place an order. Travelers already heading to the same place will be notified of your order and given the opportunity to bid on the order.
The person who placed the order can then choose a traveler and set up a place and time to pick up their item once the traveler returns.
Grabr takes the money as soon as the bid is accepted, and then pays out the traveler once they deliver the goods.
It’s an interesting way to help people in emerging markets get items that don’t ship internationally, while giving frequent travelers the chance to make some extra dough.
Grabr was founded in 2015 and has been operating a beta for the past few months. Today marks the company’s public launch.
If you want to learn more about Grabr, check out the website here.