From Marketplace to Ownership: Why Small Grocers Need a Channel They Control

If you’re a small grocery store selling through UberEats or Deliveroo, it probably felt like a win when your first online order came through.

And to be fair—it was. Getting online quickly without building a website or hiring a developer is no small feat. You get visibility, logistics, and a flood of digital foot traffic without the heavy lifting.

But what starts as a convenience can quietly become a crutch.

The Problem No One Warns You About

These platforms weren’t built for grocers. They were built to scale food delivery—fast food, not fresh food. As a result, your store becomes just another tile in a grid, indistinguishable from the next shop down the street.

Meanwhile, the platform keeps raising its cut, controlling your promotions, and owning the customer relationship. When an order arrives late or poorly packed, the blame lands on your doorstep—even though you had no control over the delivery.

This is the trade-off: more orders, but less control. And eventually, thinner margins.

Owning a Second Channel Changes the Equation

Wave Grocery was built around a clear idea: independent grocers should have the same tools big chains use—but without the complexity or cost.

No need to choose between marketplace reach and independence. Wave Grocery can help you add a direct channel alongside your existing one. It’s not either-or—it’s about creating a business that doesn’t rely on a single platform to survive.

This means you can:

• Set your own pricing strategy
• Keep more of each sale
• Know who your customers are
• Control how your products appear online

Instead of being another tile in the app, you become the destination.

Built Around What Small Grocers Actually Have

Here’s what most grocers bring us when they’re ready to go direct: a rough product list. Maybe a spreadsheet. Maybe a few images pulled from their UberEats page. That’s it.

And that’s enough. Because our team steps in to handle the rest.

We clean up the product names so customers can actually read them. We organize categories so browsing makes sense. We find and attach product photos. We assemble the entire storefront.

In three days, you’ve gone from “we’re on a delivery app” to “we have our own branded website and app.”

Not a template. Not a DIY site. A polished digital store tailored to grocers like you.

Why Customers Will Follow

Customers don’t order from UberEats because they love UberEats. They order because it’s fast and familiar.

If you make ordering direct just as easy—and give them a reason to switch—they will. Here’s what usually convinces them:

• Direct orders are cheaper
• Delivery becomes personal, as it can be scheduled in time of convenience
• They get exclusive deals, seasonal offers and your loyalty progra

We’ve seen stores shift 20% of their orders off third-party platforms using only simple tools: a poster in-store, a flyer in each delivery bag, a word at checkout. You don’t need a marketing agency. You need the right message and the right moment.

We’re Not Guessing — We’ve Done This Before

We know you’re busy. So we don’t just give you software—we give you structure. That includes:

• Pre-made marketing materials
• Step-by-step guides to train your staff
• Real examples from other stores who’ve done it

Our team has spent years building ecommerce for grocers of different sizes. We understand the pressure of running a store. We’ve put that knowledge into this platform so you don’t have to figure it out alone.

A Better Future Starts With Owning a Piece of It

Marketplaces aren’t going anywhere. And that’s fine. But the future is multi-channel—and if one of those channels isn’t fully yours, then you’re always playing catch-up.

Owning your own digital storefront gives you resilience. It gives you freedom. Most importantly, it gives you leverage.

You’ve built a store people trust.

Now it’s time to make sure they can order directly from you—not just through someone else’s app.

Wave Grocery is here to help small grocers take back control—without giving up what’s working. Let’s build your eGrocery.

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