Author name: Scieska Adderley

Beginning today, residents in New Providence can purchase groceries from home, thanks to a partnership between a local delivery service company, Bahama Eats, and the country’s largest grocer, Super Value/ Quality Super Markets.

Bahama Eat’s Co-Founder Gershwin Greene called the partnership with Super Value /Quality Super Markets an “obvious” one given their reputation and expansive reach.

“They are the largest supermarket on the island with 13 shopping locations. Their expansive reach allows us to reduce delivery time, no matter where a customer is on the island. Furthermore, they are a highly respected business and a national household name. We are grateful for the massive opportunity that Mr. Roberts has given us,” Greene shared.

Bahama Eats offers an on-demand grocery, retail, restaurant, and liquor delivery services in New Providence through its user-friendly app. By downloading the app, customers can add items from Super Value to their cart. Once they check out, an assigned personal grocery shopper will collect the items, send a link to complete grocery payment. Then, the shopper delivers those items to the customer.

Chief Financial Officer for Super Value/ Quality Super Markets Debra Symonette says the food store chain feels privileged to be the first to work along with Bahama Eats.… Read the rest

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — A Bahamian digital payments solutions provider said yesterday it was “well on its way” past the 12,000 active user mark.

Keith Davies, Kanoo’s chief executive officer, told Eyewitness News that its users could expect “seamless” integration of the Sand Dollar onto its platform as it has received the “green light” from the Central Bank.

Davies said that the company, which launched last December, has seen a “healthy” uptake of the Kanoo App by active users.

“To-date, we are well on our way past the 12,000 user mark,” he said.

“We are accelerating in terms of the number of users coming on. We see a very healthy engagement there. We have been receiving great feedback. We do a lot of outreach to individuals to see how things have been going, and the feedback has been constructive. That is something that we really pay attention to because that is how we get better. We look forward to that constructive criticism.”

Davies said Kanoo users could expect a seamless transition with the Sand Dollar on the platform.

“We were one of the AFI’s approved. We were also advised that we were at Tier II, meaning that following the security assessment, which was quite vigorous, we have been given the green light to integrate the Sand Dollar into our wallet.… Read the rest

The Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited (GBPA), announces the launch of a digital food voucher programme in the Kanoo Pays app to support the efforts of the Grand Bahama Food Distribution Task Force to provide food for the most vulnerable families on Grand Bahama.

The GBPA, a member of the Food Distribution Task Force’s steering committee, donated $25,000 to be used to enable the programme’s recipients to shop at local grocery stores. “The GBPA is pleased to participate in the public-private partnership of the GB Food Distribution Task Force through the launch of a digital food voucher programme,” stated GBPA President Ian Rolle. “On our island, we are experiencing many long-lasting effects brought on by Hurricane Dorian and, now, the global pandemic COVID-19. This programme is important to the GBPA because we are very concerned about families in need of food assistance at this time. We are also happy that, through this collaborative effort, we can help to support local businesses that remain committed to serving our community.  During this lockdown period, it is important to remain safe in everything that we do and especially during our interactions with essential businesses, including shopping at grocery stores.”

The digital food vouchers are being offered through Kanoo Pays, a licensee that is supporting merchants and consumers by providing convenient, contactless ways to pay and get paid. … Read the rest

A Bahamian digital payments provider yesterday said the COVID-19 pandemic has helped it exceed first-year expectations “by almost 100 percent” as it targets 50,000 active users by 2020 year-end.

Keith Davies, Kanoo’s chief executive officer, told Tribune Business that while he “would never have wished COVID-19 on anybody,” the circumstances created by the pandemic had produced an “exponential increase in demand” for the electronic payment services facilitated by the company’s app-based product.

Yet while the virus has accelerated The Bahamas’ transition towards the 21st-century digital economy, Mr. Davies warned that this nation must “move faster” and be more “aggressive in our approach to implementing digital solutions” for a wide range of consumers needs and problems – especially when it comes to accessing government services.

The Kanoo chief, who is also the Bahamas International Securities Exchange’s (BISX) chief executive, said the company had already shown how it could assist in this area by providing “seamless” digital vouchers to persons enrolled in the Department of Social Services’ food assistance programme.

He added that it was fulfilling a similar service for non-profits and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), has issued 650 cards simultaneously through “the push of a button” to beneficiaries of Hands for Hunger’s aid via their mobile phones.… Read the rest

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — A Bahamian digital payments provider has seen 50 per cent of the businesses currently on its platform register during the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 7,000 users in its system.

Scieska Adderley, Public Relations and Communications Manager at Kanoo said: “As a company, we’re excited and proud to say that more than 140 businesses have registered with Kanoo since our December 9th launch.

“And of that number, 50 percent of them signed during COVID-19. These also include churches and non-profit organizations that have spearheaded relief efforts through The Bahamas using our platform.”

She said: “This pandemic negatively impacted us as a country, but, as a digital payments company, we’ve given the public a safer, easier, convenient cashless option for them to continue their business operations and transact on.”

According to Adderley,​ there are currently over 7,000 users in Kanoo’s system, a number which continues to grow.

“Due to COVID-19, the number of transactions has increased by 1,700 percent, going from a few hundred monthly to several thousand.”

Adderley continued: “The company’s mandate is to make life easier for all Bahamians, and that means no matter where they reside throughout the archipelago. Residents in Inagua should have access to their money the same way ​those living​ in New Providence, and Kanoo provides that capability.… Read the rest

A Bahamian digital payment solutions provider has launched its platform in Grand Bahama through the five-store Express Food Mart chain.

Kanoo, a Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) licensee, has launched a platform that can assist businesses and customers in cashless, card-less digital wallet transactions that limit physical contact. “The world is changing and we want to be on board,” said Shauna Taylor of Express Food Mart. “The Kanoo app is a digital cash card. It’s brand new, and we are the first in Grand Bahama to accept it.”

GBPA executives hailed Kanoo’s platform as an example of how Grand Bahama businesses are evolving to meet changing customer needs amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The noted that digital wallets reduce contact during purchases, and alleviate the need to carry cash.

“The ways in which Freeport’s businesses have quickly and responsibly adapted their operations to meet the needs of customers has been remarkable,” said Ian Rolle, GBPA president. “Conducting business in a way that inhibits the spread of viruses like COVID-19 is critical to the success of all businesses and is required for the safety of all residents, today and in the future.”

Highlighting the benefits of Kanoo’s app for businesses and customers, Mr.… Read the rest