Hello Product Hunt, Daria here, Co-Founder and CEO of Grabr.
I am an avid traveler based in San Francisco, and 5 months ago, after a craving for gazpacho soup that led to thinking about how hard it is to get goods from abroad, especially thinking of things like medicines in my home country Russia, Grabr was born.
People across the globe wish for things they don’t have access to every day, and our mission is to disrupt global logistics to create actual #globalization, not this false idea of it we have today.
We want to help people around the globe get the things that they want, allow travelers to make money on the road, and create a global community in the process.
I look forward to your comments and feedback. Always available by email daria@grabr.io
Thank you for your support.
@dave_lee@grabr Items can be delivered anywhere as long there is a traveler going to your country. So yes, of course!
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Finally I see a well-thought & build solution to solve the global shipping price arbitrage through sharing economy. Could you create a top 10 list of each country's most sought foods/drinks so travelers can easily mark if they are able to deliver the product on their next trip? It would have the potential to create a good, steady stream of orders for all parties involved.
@juhslk Yes, this is a great idea, we are already trying something similar thought our market page on the website and app, but are also considering giving travelers options to announce their trips, so people can send them orders directly, that way becoming more efficient! Thanks for your support!
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I Like the concept. Uber and Amazon are trying to do the same with drivers and casual travellers. You definetively find backpackers as your main target because the rewards vs traditional shipping cost is profitable only where traditional shippers get expensive (customs, country limited products, long range distances). For in-country shipping it could be very handy if arrangements are done in train, bus stations, airport where the frequent travellers can easily drop the package without any further complication. Or maybe once he is in the destination country he can send through city mail (less than expensive then national or international shipping).
I see a lot of potential and developments.
@nick88msn Thanks! It is definitely what we are aiming for! Our mission in a so-called “globalized” world is to disrupt the global logistics that anyone in the world can get anything (including any medicine, or any other product they really need) within 24 hours
@nick88msn Nicola, thank you for the feedback. I completely agree with you: backpackers, adventure travelers, flight attendants, international students are our big target. They already create a big portion of our user base. When travelers get to their destinations, they meet with shoppers in various public locations and oftentimes get to explore the new place with the help of a new friend from Grabr community. Definitely there is a big opportunity to look into local mail and courier deliveries to make it even more convenient
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Hey pretty neat idea. How are you dealing with the risk of this just being to smuggle contraband across countries. Do you verify buyers and travellers? Or the purchased items?
@demi_ademuson Thank you! Great question! So we don't allow packages to be passed this way we eliminate illegal products to be smuggled. Grabr is a shopping and delivery service not a crowd sourced shipping option. So when the shopper posts an order, it has to be bought in a store both online or offline, by the traveler. Traveler chooses where to buy and what to deliver.Hope this answers your questions!
We do verify shoppers and travelers and monitor the orders automatically and manually.
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@artemsmind hey thanks it does. thats pretty cool!
@ilyakolmogorov@nastya_ikon@artemsmind what do you guys think about @backpack (backpackbang.com), @shypmate, and this one other singapore one that i'm forgetting the name of?
Just asking because I've actually signed up for the 1st and 3rd of these (just signed up for grabr, too!), and I feel like I'M your ideal market. Business person that travels about once per month internationally, and doesn't actually need the one check in luggage I get for free. I do use it though to always smuggle some hot cheetos to my gf in Europe though lol.
If you did go after this market, sure you guys have thought about it..what are you guys doing to target? FB I know has a great traveler target I've had good CTR's for...maybe going after those blogs that talk about miles and points?
@ilyakolmogorov@nastya_ikon@artemsmind Also forgot to mention, it was super hard to find out how to sign up as a traveler...I figure in your marketplace that's the side to figure out first, too.
@ilyakolmogorov@nastya_ikon@artemsmind Also, I did it just cause it was posted on PH, but as a traveler, requiring me to input my real bank info before I can see what people need/where aka if it's worth being a member, would be a turnoff and I would just bounce outta there. Anyways, why can't I just be paid out via cc instead of bank transfer?
@nwkwan thank you for your comments! But you don't need to provide any info until you actually commit to deliver your first item. All the orders are posted live into the deliver section of the website "little airplane icon"
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Company doesn't pay out travelers--they accept money from buyers and don't pay the people who actually make the purchase. It would be like your Uber Eats driver having to also buy your dinner out of his pocket and not getting paid. The concept is solid, the execution is pretty much criminal.
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@jon_peahl could you please share your experience with this option? Did you get the payment?
@briannekimmel Thank you! I personally lived in many different countries and always craved things from the places! Also keep on brining suitcases full of stuff for friend and family when travel! So this is how the concept was born!
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