ZipGigs Delivers Manhattan To You

Before we discuss new NYC-based startup ZipGigs, I want to take you back to an earlier time. A time when I was living in Atlanta and delivery service Kozmo had just hit the scene. I loved and hated Kozmo. I loved it because they would bring me a box of Entenmann’s donuts and a movie anytime I wanted it. I hated it because, before Kozmo, I would have to get in the car and drive to the 7-11 or Blockbuster to get junk food or a movie. The service had a very loyal following – a good number of my friends had used the service on a semi-regular basis for food, drinks and movies. Their ability to deliver Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in just a few minutes turned many on to the delivery service.

A couple of years later Kozmo was gone and all I have left to remember the service are the orange fridge magnets they put in my deliveries. Kozmo delivered items that they stocked in their warehouses across the U.S.

ZipGigs is a new delivery service based in NYC that officially launched last week. Their model works differently than Kozmo. With ZipGigs you can place an order for basically anything (no prescription drugs or alcohol) from any merchant in Manhattan and they will deliver it to you. ZipGigs charges a fee for each delivery – the fee ranges from $10 for short deliveries to $30 for longer trips.

If you want a Crumbs Squiggle cupcake delivered to your office after a long day of Twittering, a Gigster will bring it to you. If you are craving a burger and fries from Shake Shack, a Gigster will bring it to you. If you need a tube of toothpaste or bottle of Advil, ZipGigs will go to CVS and get it for you.

Here’s how ZipGigs works:

• you place an order for the items you want and the shop where ZipGigs should buy the merchandise
• they place a hold on your credit card for the approximate amount of the transaction
• a Gigster (that’s their term for courier) buys your goods and delivers them to you
• you receive the receipt from the store and the final amount is tendered to your credit card

The Gigsters use a ZipGigs debit card to make the purchases and all of their Gigsters are insured. The ZipGigs service is currently available in Manhattan and they use bikes to travel around the city. If you are interested in their business model, check out their business presentation.

Here are a few of the Gigsters – I wonder if their drinks were delivered using ZipGigs?