About (platform for delivery services)

Main articles:

• Ready food delivery (Russian market)
• Mobile Applications

2022: Service Closure

X5 closes the food delivery aggregator "About," which the retailer announced at the end of March 2022. The service lasted less than two years.

We close, download our partner apps and continue to order everything you love, the About app reports.

The reasons for the closure are not specified, but vacancies for couriers are still displayed on the official About website.

2021

Add an application to Appgallery

On December 8, 2021, the mobile application of the food and food delivery service ABOUT became available in AppGallery. ABOUT is a service with support for Huawei Mobile Services.

Photo: consumer.huawei.com

In the ABOUT application, users can AppGallery arrange the delivery of fresh products from hypermarkets Intersection"" and Five"," as well as ready-made dishes, the Italian, and the Japanese the Mexican Caucasian cuisine from more than 180 restaurants. In order to make purchases in ABOUT for the benefit, you can add bonus store cards to the application and enjoy personal discounts, as well as follow the updated news about special offers and promotions.

"The development of delivery services is one of the key trends. In AppGallery, we strive to maintain this trend and replenish our app store with the most current services. In this regard, we are especially pleased with the appearance in the AppGallery of an application for the delivery of food and products ABOUT, with the help of which users of the application store will be able to quickly and conveniently arrange the delivery of products, "said Mikhail Komkov, vice president of the Huawei ecosystem in the Eurasian region.

The service has a convenient interface - all products are divided into categories, which makes the experience of users in the application as simple as possible.

Contact Center Organization

Rostelecom on August 4, 2021 announced the launch of a contact center service to ensure the operation of the Okrug aggregator (express delivery from X5 Group retail chains and restaurants). The provider has identified a group of professional operators who perform the entire range of tasks for the prompt resolution of customer issues "About": processing incoming and outgoing calls, working in chat rooms and social networks, conducting surveys. More details here.

Integration with the mobile application "Crossroads"

Online hypermarket Vprok.ru Intersection expands the functionality of its own mobile application due to the integration of express delivery from an aggregator X5 Group under the brand "About." This was reported on June 11, 2021 in Crossroads. A separate "Express" button for ordering from the nearest stores trade of X5 chains and is already restaurants available to all users. Prodok Applications More. here

Launch in large cities of Russia

On May 19, 2021, the X5 Group retail company announced the launch of an aggregator for the express delivery of products and ready-made food under the Okrug brand outside Moscow and the Moscow Region. The service has already begun work in St. Petersburg, Voronezh, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Krasnodar and Rostov-on-Don. The single mobile application "About," which is available in the App Store and Google Play, has already collected offers from X5 retail networks.

The concept of "About" is based on a hyperlocal consumption model, in which food or ready-made food is delivered from nearby shops, restaurants and cafes. The About application presents the entire range of X5 chain stores allowed for online sale. Orders are delivered daily from 9.00 to 21.00 or from 7.00 to 23.00 depending on the selected store. The average delivery time from Pyaterochka and Crossroads is about 45 minutes, the cost is 99 rubles.

"The launch of our own X5 express delivery aggregator outside the Moscow region is an important stage in scaling one of the services demanded in modern conditions. As part of a single mobile application, we can literally be near each of our customers, come to the rescue in any situation: from the sudden arrival of guests to the organization of a dinner party. At the same time, the technological platform we have developed allows us to track product balances and connect new stores to the express delivery service as soon as possible, which is especially important for scaling, "said Vladimir Kholyaznikov, managing director of the business unit X5 FoodTech.

When implementing the About service, it attracts partners, including professional courier services that specialize in the product segment. Partners take on issues related to hiring couriers and taking them to shifts. "About" on the basis of a single digital platform transfers orders to courier services for execution according to specified service standards.

Launch of express order delivery service from a number of restaurants in Moscow

X5 Retail Group, a retail company in Russia, announced on April 21, 2021 that express delivery from several restaurants in Moscow began on the basis of the Okrug aggregator.

The service has already been connected to 18 points of the Niyama restaurant, 6 points of the Wabi Sabi, 8 points of Menza, as well as restaurants of the Much Salmon group (including 10 ideal pizzas, Rolls# 1, Yaji) - more than 20 dark kitchen. 7 City-Garden restaurants also operate on the basis of the aggregator. Delivery covers areas of Moscow within the Moscow Ring Road.

Delivery conditions and assortment - mirror the restaurant's offer on official venues. Cooperation is built according to the marketplace model: in the application "About" there is a menu of partners, users place an order, and the aggregator sends the application to the restaurant. Delivery is carried out by courier services of partners, the conditions are determined by the point itself. All the menu presented for delivery in the official sources of the restaurant (mobile application/site) will be available for ordering through "About."

"Since the end of 2020, the About aggregator delivers orders for customers of the Pyaterochka and Perekrestok retail chains. During this time, the hyperlocal delivery model underwent the necessary testing, a loyal user base was accumulated, which actively uses the About application for everyday consumption. Digital expertise and a thoughtful business model allowed the service to quickly connect several partners at once. "About" concentrates on cooperation with companies that have proven themselves in the ready-made food delivery market, with good areas of coverage of the city and positive customer reviews. We expect that over time, with the help of one application, our customers will be able to close all the needs for food and ready-made food within one district, in a minimum time and with a high level of service, "said Igor Shekhterman, chief executive officer of X5 Retail Group.

The aggregator of express delivery of products and ready-made food under the brand "About" works as part of a single mobile application. The concept of "About" is based on a hyperlocal consumption model, in which food or ready-made food is delivered from nearby shops, restaurants and cafes. The About annex for April 2021 presents the entire range of X5 chain stores allowed for online sale. Orders are delivered daily from 9.00 to 21.00 or from 7.00 to 23.00 depending on the selected store. The operating model "About" is built on partnership with small local companies that specialize in express delivery, in particular, with experience in the category of food and ready-made food, and are involved in the execution of orders for X5 services.

2020: Platform Launch

On July 7, 2020, X5 Retail Group announced the launch of a single technology platform for express delivery services. The new development of the retailer was called "About."

The platform is designed to optimize processes and provide uniform standards of service quality. Buyers will continue to issue and pay for orders in the applications "Pyaterochka Delivery" and "Crossroads. Fast," and couriers of local partner companies "About" will deliver purchases in branded form.

X5 Retail Group has launched a single platform for delivering products from all its stores

The operating model of the service is based on cooperation with small local companies that specialize in express delivery in different cities of Russia, in particular with experience in the category of food and ready-made food, and are involved in the execution of orders for X5 services.

At the first stage, it is planned that the technology platform and service "About" will be focused only on delivery from X5 retail chains. In the future, other participants in the food market can be connected to the service.

According to X5 Retail Group, at the first stage of the pilot in the "About" form, 50% of couriers of the Pyaterochka Delivery and Perekrestok services have already been equipped in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Krasnodar and Rostov-on-Don. Interaction with couriers takes place in a single mobile application, where they receive delivery tasks, make marks about the status of the order and the route.

About "will allow us to switch to a single positioning and control system for the express delivery system, and will also create new prospects for the development of X5 online channels," said Igor Shekhterman, chief executive officer of X5 Retail Group.

By July 7, 2020, express delivery is carried out from 439 X5 stores, it operates in the five largest cities of Russia.  The launch of the single technology platform "Near" will create the effect of operational synergy in the development of the services X5 "Pyaterochka Delivery" and "Crossroads. Fast," the company hopes.^[1]

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