By purchasing startup competitor Rappi, GPA will turbocharge database

The GPA announced the purchase of James Delivery, startup multiservice delivery – that takes it down to the consumer, including supermarkets. One of the best-known of this business model is the Rappi, which also has a partnership with the company. According to the giant retailer, the newly acquired platform is a leader in Curitiba. Beyond the capital of Paraná, is present in Balneário Camboriú (Santa Catarina). According to Peter Estermann, CEO of the GPA, the entry in the segment of SuperApps – as are known these platforms – is strategic to the company. "It is a new business for the company", says the Executive. For him, the acquisition allows you to enhance and extend the service to the client and the service. "All we've done is that if the application is our", he adds. Data base fueled buying of James Delivery gives access to technology, which is 100% of the startup, and increases the speed of implementation of the delivery business. "Helps shorten steps, which are diverse in a large corporation," explains CEO. Starting tomorrow, the Curitiba stores are already selling products by platform. The database will also be integrated into the loyalty program of the GPA. "Let's cross information. We know there are customers who don't buy James in our channels and vice versa. We will know in more detail what the consumer demand on the site and in the store, "says Estermann. The Executive claims that, by the end of 2019, the platform will be present in all the cities where the GPA has stores. For now, James Delivery will have independent management. The idea is to preserve the skills that differentiate the startups, like speed in decision-making and simplicity in operation. "We need to gain scale to be integrated into a business the size of the GPA," says the CEO. The four founding partners of the SuperApp – Lucas Ceschin, Eduardo Petrelli, Ivo Roveda and Juliano Hauer – become Executive Directors hired by the retailer, and Lucas remains in charge as CEO of James Delivery. A long-term incentive model, in which targets are established. If they are not met, the business can be reviewed. Today, the platform has 500 contracts to provide services in various segments-from pharmacies to restaurants. The GPA will have exclusivity in the supermarket segment. There are still 700 carriers, who work in a system similar to the Uber. The expectation of the GPA is that in three years, the James is Latin America's leading Delivery in multi-service segment. "We have everything to be", says the Executive. Due to the acquisition of the platform, the company reviewed your contract with Rappi. Before there was an exclusive deal, but the terms were reviewed and renegotiated within the allowed clauses. Marketplace feed Estermann believes that, in the long run, will be built a large marketplace food segment. "As we see this platform, which would integrate the entire retail, using our strengths, we don't want to start building in 2019," he said. "We think that way, because that's what the market will be not only a physical store, there will be integration with online and this includes also the feed," he said. For now, with purchases being made (recently the company acquired control of Cheftime) and other initiatives, the company has been accumulating data, know-how and technology.