Grocery Outpost

Grocery Outpost

What

Web design and overall strategy for a small start-up making local produce and food products available during the pandemic.

Web Design

Social Media

Strategy

Copywriting

Small Team

When: May - November 2020 | Where: Grocery Outpost, Cambridge, MA

Why

Grocery Outpost was a startup launched during the COVID-19 pandemic to make local goods more accessible and to provide revenue for struggling restaurants and small businesses in the Greater Boston Area. I was responsible for the overall online presence, including building the website in Shopify, the newsletter in MailChimp, and social media posts, primarily Instagram. I was also highly involved in the strategy of the company and I worked closely with restaurants and brands on the platform

How

The Problem

Exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, many already-struggling independent restaurants have been forced to close their doors.

The Solution

Grocery Outpost aimed to take advantage of the existing supply chain to generate additional revenue streams for restaurants by selling groceries online.

Website

Screenshot of the Grocery Outpost website showing the navigation and hero image

The Grocery Outpost homepage was designed to highlight the mission, explain to customers how to use the platform, and direct them to shopping.

Newsletter

Screenshot of the Grocery Outpost newsletter with recipes

The Grocery Outpost newsletter was a short, and easily digestible email (pun intended).

I designed and built the Grocery Outpost newsletter by modifying templates in MailChimp. I sent out a weekly update about new products, as well as a more personal newsletter with stories and recipes.

49.6%

Open rate

5%

Click rate

Instagram

I managed the Instagram account for the brand, creating a consistent voice and pushing traffic to the website. I also responded to DMs and tracked insights about engagement.

Instagram post showing the statistics about restaurant closures in MA.

Part of Grocery Outpost's mission on social media was to make followers understand the dire state of restaurants in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instagram post showing that outdoor dining will decline with winter weather and encouraing people to support small businesses in other ways.

480

Followers

616

Largest reach

45

Website clicks

Instagram post showing fried halloumi.
Instagram post showing a man in a blue tank top eating a hamburger.
Instagram post showing a roast beef sandwich.

Learnings

This was my first experience at a small startup where I was deeply involved in all facets of the operation. I was part of brainstorming, research, project management, and marketing, as well as executing logistics and orders. I gained experience in writing copy for a brand and creating a distinctive and consistent voice, as well as managing an active social media account. I learned to use Shopify and MailChimp, and most of all I learned how to roll with the punches and adapt to changes in the business.

Tools

Shopify • Instagram • AdobeXD • MailChimp