New app links Calgary shoppers to ‘sari-sari’ style grocery outlets

Rico de la Torre (right) and Brian Morales co-founded Nimbly Market. SCREENSHOT CBC

CALGARY, Alberta — Two young Filipino Canadians have started an online delivery platform that connects Calgarians with home-based grocery stores that sell special imports from the Philippines.

Rico de la Torre and Brian Morales co-founded Nimbly Market, an app similar to now popular online food home delivery services. The duo connects home-bound buyers to grocery outlets for Filipino specialties.

A couple with a grocery outlet in their basement fills in orders sent through Nimbly Market. SCREENSHOT CBC

Grocery outlets operated from Filipino homes—similar to homebased variety stores in the Philippines called sari-sari stores–are increasing in number in Calgary.

Nimbly Market already has 3 pilots running in the city and expect a full rollout of operations early next year, according a CBC News report.