TradeKart was founded by Alistair McAuley, previously Managing Director at AkzoNobel (Dulux) and prior to that ran his family’s decorator’s merchanting business. Inspired by the rapid shift to hyper convenience led by the likes of Deliveroo and Amazon Prime throughout the pandemic, Alistair left the corporate world to bring this same technology and convenience to the world of construction, where so much time and money is wasted collecting materials.
“Our mission at TradeKart is to connect and digitise the trade industry, making life easier for those who need materials right now. We’ve built the UK’s first marketplace that connects local trade merchants to local tradespeople and since launching in January 2021, we now serve Plumbers, Builders, Electricians and Decorators across London with an average delivery time of just 56 minutes. Gone are the days of having to leave site when you run out of materials or even having to wait 24hrs for your next delivery.”
- What is it?
- How does it work?
- Where does it operate at the moment?
- Does it cover all product lines or if not, which ones?
- What’s the benefit for contractors/builders?
- What’s the benefit for merchants?
- How can merchants get involved?
- Why should merchants get involved?
- Is this going to roll out nationwide?
- Fee
What is it?
TradeKart is the rapid delivery app for tradespeople. We deliver what you need for the job, when and where you need it.
How does it work?
I’m glad you asked, it’s really simple! Just download our free TradeKart app on any iOS or Android device, key in your location and search for the items you need. We deliver to you in under 2 hours – In fact our average delivery time is currently 56 minutes!
Where does it operate at the moment?
We’re currently live in London and plan to roll out to other UK cities later in the year.
Does it cover all product lines or if not, which ones?
We offer 1000’s of products from the brands and local merchants that tradespeople know and trust, catering for plumbing and heating engineers, builders, electricians and decorators…and they’re all available in the palm of your hand!
What’s the benefit for contractors/builders?
It literally takes a few minutes to place an order, saving all the hassle and cost of leaving site. With live stock availability and competitive pricing, tradespeople know exactly what they’re getting and when it’ll be delivered, as you can track delivery live.
What’s the benefit for merchants?
The TradeKart app allows merchants to offer their existing customers a rapid same day delivery solution, a vast improvement on the industry norm of next day delivery, whilst also bringing in new customers. With immediate payment and no fees – what do you have to lose?
How can merchants get involved?
Whether you are a merchant or a potential customer, you can find out more on the TradeKart website.
Why should merchants get involved?
In a post pandemic world, we’re all used to getting what we want exactly when we need it thanks to the rise of apps like Amazon Prime and Deliveroo. Customer mindset is changing, with convenience often being more important than price, and this is starting to reflect into the trade work life too as time really is money! We offer our merchant partners the ability to improve their business and tap into this changing retail space, by thinking differently to win new customers and increase sales with existing customers.
Is this going to roll out nationwide?
That’s the plan! We’re looking to expand across the UK later this year and already have a number of merchants and tradespeople requesting the service. For now it’s all about London.
Fee
The app is completely free to download and our delivery cost is only £5. Product pricing, along with stock availability, is displayed live in the app.
