Problem Carrying Groceries? Get “Bagee”
Most people agree that carrying grocery bags is a hassle, whenever they go shopping. A tool that can help lessen the stress of shopping and carrying groceries from one point to the other is, therefore, needed. Many products similar to the one described above have been invented. Most of those products though, neither reduce the number of trips a person makes to get the groceries nor lessen the hassle involved. It is against this background that we invented a product that resolves the problem of multiple trips made to get the groceries, makes it easy to carry grocery bags up the stairs, and reduces the pressure exerted on the hands by the baggage.This project report, therefore, gives a detailed description of “Bagee” which is a venture opportunity whose major objective is to reduce the hassles of making multiple trips to get grocery bags and make it easy to get grocery bags up a flight of stairs.
The report introduces the venture opportunity then explains it in detail, analyzes what the problem identified is, and explains how Bagee solves the problem. The report then describes Bagee’s value proposition, the impacts that Bagee will have in the market, and on the consumers then analyzes the proof of testing/feedback from the market. Next, the project report describes the customer segment targeted by the product, explains how the customer relationship with the product is expected to be like, describes the channels to be used to communicate about the product or market it, and the revenue streams for the Bagee. Finally, the project report outlines the key activities, the product’s key partners, the key resources needed, and the cost structure for producing the product.
My Venture opportunity is called “Bagee”. Bagee is a product designed to ease the process of carrying groceries from point A to B. The problem we are trying to solve is the hassle and pains created when one has dozens of grocery bags thus has to make countless back and forth trips. With Bagee, our goal is to cut these trips down hence reduce the hassle and pain of those dozens of trips.
The Problem
Making multiple trips to get grocery bags takes a toll on the already tired muscles of the elderly hence Bagee is the solution that elderly people need. Because Bagee is designed using a lightweight railing that collapses on the inside to allow space for more luggage to be accommodated. The lightweight railing also reduces the pressure that loads exert on the hands of the person carrying them hence reducing the pain of carrying grocery bags. The problem we are addressing is the hassle of carrying dozens of grocery bags which are mostly heavy.
Bagee’s major objective is to reduce the burden of having to make multiple trips to get all grocery bags to the car and the house. Bagee also aims at reducing the weight of those bags through its sleek design. Most people have no choice but to carry those many and heavy bags up a flight of stairs and this becomes very tiring and stressful. Bagee hopes to make it easy to carry those grocery bags up the stairs as well as solve the problem of making multiple trips to get the grocery bags home. Because Bagee is designed to accommodate many bags at a go and exerts subtle pressure on the hand. Bagee is, therefore, different from other products that exert all the pressure on the hands of the person carrying the load making them feel much pain. We noticed that two hands are just not enough to carry all the needed grocery bags hence came up with the idea of Bagee.
Solution
Bagee eases the hassle of carrying grocery bags through its unique design. It can carry multiple bags at once with less pain exerted on the hands. Bagee is important to many people who are faced with the daily struggle of carrying grocery bags from point A to point B. Bagee is relevant to people across the generations because it reduces the stress of carrying groceries for the young people as well as the elderly ones. It works for anybody who has to hassle through a flight of stairs with loads of grocery bags or make multiple trips to get the groceries each time. As for the elderly, Bagee lessens the pain of carrying groceries because it exerts minimal pressure on their hands. Bagee aims to resolve a universal problem related to a common everyday task. Carrying groceries is done every day by any person who needs groceries. Bagee, therefore, has so many potential and repeat clients.
Bagee’s Value Proposition
Bagee’s selling point is that “if carrying groceries has become a hassle, one simply needs to get a Bagee” because it solves the problem. Compact ability is one of the features that makes Bagee stand out. Bagee is simple and comfortable hence anyone can carry it without any problem. It is also fashionable because its design makes it likable and useful to any generation. Bagee is simple, lovely, and is characteristic of the current way of life which is full of hassles. Bagee is designed to shoulder those hassles by carrying many bags of groceries at one go hence saving time and energy for the user. Additionally, Bagee is lightweight and permits maximum usage hence is economical. Bagee is also comfortable and easy to use thus the elderly as well as the young can use it.
Our current value proposition is a combination of price and differentiation. There are many products such as ours which help carry grocery bags currently available on the market. What will make Bagee competitive hence stand out from the rest, will be its price which compares lower to any of the same-use products currently in the market averaging at about $40.00. Moreover, our product is different as it allows for a sleek and compactable design that is easy to carry and store unlike what is currently available in the market which is saturated with forms of grocery strollers. Due to its sleek design, Bagee is easy to store and carry anywhere. Portability and easy storage guarantee the user of a hassle-free shopping experience wherever.
The Impacts of Bagee
From our assessment of the current market, we realized that the products available are not that fashionable and are non-compact. They, therefore, are less appealing and occupy much space. The products available are mostly in form of carts and people associate carts with the elderly. Bagee on the other hand is a cross-generational carrier as anyone can use it. Bagee also uses minimal space to carry multiple grocery bags. Bagee will also have a great impact due to its affordability. A piece goes for as low as $9.99 which is way lower than the current market price of carries which retails for around $35 at Amazon, Wayfair, Bedbath, and Beyond.
Bagee has an economic impact because it is cheap and durable as one piece will cost as low as $9.99. Bagee’s small size, simplicity, and cheap cost of production allow it to undercut the market. Bagee has a social impact also due to its sleek design and compactness. It is a cool product that all members of a household would love to own.
Analysis of the Testing Feedback
Gathering from the feedback received from different groups of people, Bagee is what most people need. Because many admitted that carrying grocery bags is a hassle hence a mechanism that would reduce that hassle will be gladly welcomed. The elderly for example, complained of the constant need for assistance in carrying their groceries because they do have not much strength. They said the everyday hassle tires them and leaves their hands paining due to the pressure exerted on their hands by the heavy luggage. Bagee would help this group of people because it does not only reduce the number of trips to get groceries but also is, lightweight hence exerting minimal pressure on the hands. From the interview, the most common denominator is that; all people regardless of their age, do not like the hassle of having to make multiple trips to get groceries. Most of the feedback showed that people find it annoying to have to go back many times for their groceries from the store to the car, or the car to the house, or the car up some stairs.
The elderly mostly raised concerns of having to get help with the ferrying of their groceries both to their cars and to their houses. They also complained about lacking the strength to make multiple trips and withstanding the pressure of heavy groceries. Gathering from the feedback after testing, we concluded that people found the rod-like railing of our prototype a bit off. We are considering an oval-shaped railing prototype with two steep hooks sticking out on the sides, for a stronger grip. The dual hooks are designed to guarantee maximum efficiency as they are stronger and carry more bags.
After testing and interviewing some people on the product, it was gathered that people preferred an oval-shaped railing instead of the long, cylindrical, and hollow one that we had initially designed. This is because an oval-shaped railing proved stronger and easier to hold and carry. It also guarantees that the railing will withstand all the weight that is mounted on the dual hooks without much struggle. We also modified the initial dual hooks into steeper ones that will hold more bags and carry more weight. The lightweight oval-shaped railing enables the user to have a tighter grip hence being sure that their groceries are safely tacked onto the hooks.
Customer Segments
The customers that we are targeting, and feel would identify best with our product include any customers that have a hassle carrying groceries. The customers include people living in multi-floor buildings, the elderly, anyone who cannot make multiple trips. We are looking at two main groups in this profile, the younger generation (Gen z + Gen Y) as they are always looking for shortcuts and hassle-free solutions. The second profile we are looking at is the elderly generation as they experience the problem and hassle of many grocery trips taking a toll on their body and muscles.
Customer Relationships
We believe that our product is self-explanatory in its usage. Due to this belief, we will be implementing a self-service customer relationship. We will provide all the information about the usage of our product through detailed videos available online and mini diagram booklets shipped with the product. We will also market our product through the channels chosen to upsell it to the Bagee community. As we do that, we will illustrate to the consumers how to use the product and provide channels for feedback and any inquiries that the consumers might have.
Channels
The channels that we plan to use to communicate with our Bagee community will consist mainly of new-age platforms. Social media is the best platform to market our product because it contains thousands of young and middle-aged people who make up a greater percentage of our target clients. We plan to use platforms such as Reddit, discord, and Facebook to communicate with our customers and review their feedback. The platforms will allow us to connect to a younger generation as those are the main users of those platforms. In addition to these platforms, to target the older generations that may have use for our product, we will consider advertising Bagee on subways and busses. Because any older generations on those platforms will find our product greatly useful in easing the hassle of carrying grocery bags.
After reaching out to the older generation through the subways and buses, we intend to obtain feedback that will help us improve the marketing of our product to the elderly. Because we consider them the bulk of our customers. Additionally, we intend to use influencer marketing to ensure that our product reaches out to more young people. Being fashionable, we think that using an influencer marketing strategy will create more awareness about our product amongst people who frequent social media. Influencer marketing will add more value to Bagee by bringing it closer to its potential users as well as educating the consumers on the usage of the product.
Revenue Streams
Our revenue model consists of a transaction-based revenue model. We are supplying a physical product (the Bagee) and will be offering the product in exchange for a one-time payment. We are also considering marketing the Bagee to grocery stores, supermarkets, and other outlets which are likely to buy this product in bulk then sell it to its clients.
Key Activities
The key activities that we will need to implement begin with targeting our market. We will do this by giving out promotional Bagees in strategic city areas such as: near stores where groceries and other foodstuff are sold and at bus stations and subways where the elderly are likely to frequent. Another key activity will be generating brand awareness and feedback. This may be done by running a promotion in our key target communities. In the promotions, we will offer our product in exchange for joining our customer relationship platforms and leaving feedback on the product.
Key Resources
The three main key resources that we will need are: Financial, intellectual, and physical. Financial resources refer to the cash flow needed to buy the raw materials and manufacture our product. We also need money for logistics and marketing of our product. Intellectual resources include a patent needed to protect our simple yet unique idea without over saturating the market. The physical resources needed are things like a space for housing our inventory and running the shipping from.
Key Partners
There a many key partners to who we can reach out. The most strategic ones consist of supermarket chains because many people tend to leave with large amounts of bags that need to be carried. The key partner we have been looking at especially will be “Key foods” as they are a very large supermarket chain with a diversified clientele setting. We hope to reach out to more partners as more and more customers become aware of our product.
Cost Structure
The cost structures involved in our product venture are quite minimal. Through the research, I have conducted on manufacturing the product I believe it would be estimated at roughly $1.50 per piece. The shipping cost of our product across the entire United States is roughly $2.00 which will be paid for by customers at checkout. We will not start with acquiring a space to store the product as it is costly. A basement or garage will work just okay in our early stages. As for our sales methods, we will be starting with a Shopify platform priced at roughly 50$ a month. Our startup cost of the product is very low hence it bears a minimum risk. Our one true cost per product will be the $1.50 manufacturing cost. Therefore, I believe pricing the product at $9.99 and turning an $8.49 profit per product (566%) is a likable investment.
Research and Competitors
Research has revealed that people are universally concerned about how to get their groceries home. Some products have been designed to try and make shopping less tiring. One such product is a prototype model of an automated cart which has been designed to help elderly people have a better shopping experience (Soori et al. 195-206). The cart is fitted with an inbuilt barcode scanner that enables the customers to bill themselves then send the final bill to a centralized billing station using Wi-Fi (Soori et al. 195-206). Just like this automated cart, our product is concerned with making shopping easier for elderly people and every other shopper. Bagee also makes it easy to carry multiple grocery bags out of the store, into the car, and to the house.
Amazon also has a product called “Mighty Handle” manufactured by Mighty Green Solutions (“Amazon.com: Mighty Handle). The mighty handle is an all-purpose carrier and holder of products that are cumbersome to carry (“Amazon.com: Mighty Handle). It costs from $13.95 and can hold up to 50 pounds of groceries and guarantees no spillage. When we compare it to Bagee, the mighty handle is a bit on the higher side in terms of cost. Bagee can also hold groceries weighing over 50 pounds because it is very strong. Information about the mighty handle gave more insight on what needs to be incorporated into Bagee’s design. People’s biggest worry is to get the groceries and other shopping all at once to the car and the house. Secondly, people want a carrier that guarantees that their groceries would get home in one piece.
The Click & Carry is another product that is similar to our Bagee as it makes the carrying of multiple luggage easy. Click & Carry is a successful product as it is selling hugely at Amazon (Burke). It is a highly competitive product due to its unique design; Click & carry has a pad that enables the user to be hands-free by placing the carrier on the shoulder (Burke). Borrowing from Click & Carry’s experience, we have started small and hope to grow this business venture and be as successful as Click & Carry. We will be bringing our product into contact with more consumers and getting more feedback on what the end-users think about our product. We will then use that feedback to improve on the Bagee. We desire and aim to develop a product of choice for many people across the country. Just like Bagee, the click & carry is also designed for moms, senior citizens, urban dwellers, and those people who love to shop by themselves (clickandcarry.com). The product is strong enough to carry many items at once and can carry up to 80 pounds in total, at one go (clickandcarry.com). Additionally, a piece of click & carry package costs around $12.99.
Consequently, the information about the click& carry product encourages us to think widely about how to bring out a highly improved product. From the feedback on the click and carry product page, I discovered that many people are faced with many difficulties getting their luggage home. Bagee is the product that will address all those concerns because it is stronger than most products that are already in the market. Bagee is also more versatile and the way its dual hooks are designed, it can guarantee no spillage whatsoever.
Yang (2019) confirms the argument about grocery shopping being so stressful. This thought influenced the idea behind the design of Bagee because of the need for a viable and affordable solution. According to Yang (2019), the mighty handle can hold up to 50 lbs. on each side and is firm. Another product that is similar to Bagee is a trolley dolly fitted with a removable bag. (Yang). This bag, therefore, can hold so many groceries at one go and ease the burden of carrying loads on the shoulders. The trolley dolly is however more costly as it ranges from $34. 99 (Yang). Most products are concerned about getting one’s groceries and shopping into the car but do not consider the hassle that the shopper has to go through to get the items home. This is where Bagee comes in; where most of the shopping carts do not reach. Bagee not only gets the groceries together at one go at the store, but it also makes it easy to carry them to the car, up the stairs, and to the house. For those elderly people who worry a lot about where to get the energy to make multiple trips to the grocery store, to the car, up the stairs, Bagee takes care of their worries.
Most urban people seem to get weary and bored by the sores that some luggage carriers leave on their hands. Bagee reduces the amount of pressure exerted by the luggage onto the hands thus taking care of the shopper’s hands. Since Bagee is designed from a lightweight material, the weight of the groceries is evenly distributed. The pressure will be more on the lightweight, oval-shaped railing and less on the hands. From the feedback on the shopping cart, it is apparent that many Americans love innovations that make their lives easier (Yang). The shopping cart is waterproof, has a lid, can be folded and carried anywhere, and has such a huge capacity. The shopping cart, however, is expensive as it costs around $64.95. When compared to the shopping cart, Bagee has a unique feature as it bridges the gap between the car and the house. Bagee comes in where the shopping cart stops and given that Bagee costs $9.99, many people can afford it. The Bagee will help the people take care of the everyday hassles of grocery shopping and carrying. Its oval shape and compact design make Bagee comfortable for the user and easy to walk along with.
Unlike Versa Cart, Bagee is more portable and solves more grocery carriage problems. When compared to Versa cart, Bagee can carry the groceries from the store to the car and the house. It also takes care of the hassle of carrying groceries up the stairs. Bagee is more affordable than all the mentioned competitor products because the prices of those competitor products are exclusive of shipping fees. The shipping fee for Bagee across the United States is around $2.00 which makes it the cheapest among all other similar products.
Conclusion
After getting feedback on our prototype, we incorporated that feedback into the design of an improved Bagee. Incorporating the feedback is very important in assuring our customers about the importance of their input to our business. Customer feedback also helps us to improve our product hence satisfying the customer more. The Bagee remained compact with the middle area being enhanced to give steady support to the dual hooks. This then means that the dual hooks can carry as many grocery bags as possible on one trip.
Bagee is a relevant product in addressing the widespread concern about how to make the shopping of groceries among other things, hassle-free. Currently, there are not so many products invented to resolve this problem. As Wallmanb (2021) puts it, shopping is stressful thus people need a tool or product, or an invention that can reduce the pain of carrying heavy loads. Because shopping, especially for groceries is done all the time, constant stress is inevitable unless someone gets an effective tool. Whatever tool a person chooses to help with their shopping and carrying of grocery bags, it all depends on personal preferences. Wallmanb (2021) argues that grocery shopping requires a person to use some tool for it to be less hectic. Bagee, therefore, makes sense in the shopping and carrying of groceries because it lessens the hassle.
Bagee is usable by anyone who wants an easy and enjoyable shopping experience. Because it is simple to use as one just firmly holds the oval-shaped railing then hangs the shopping bags on the dual hooks. Since Bagee is made of lightweight railing, it exerts a subtle pressure on the hands as opposed to other carriers that exert all the pressure on the hands thus hurting them.
Furthermore, gauging from the consumer feedback on the Bagee, it is clear that this product is what the market needs right now. Because no matter the shoppers’ age and lifestyle, all they want is to reduce the trips to get the groceries. Bagee does just that and more; it enables the elderly to shop without the worry of getting help in carrying the shopping. Because the elderly can comfortably carry all their groceries in one trip using Bagee. Bagee is designed to hold up the weight of the luggage on the railing instead of transferring that weight onto the user’s hands. For this reason, Bagee is convenient for senior citizens who do have not much strength for carrying heavy loads.
Bagee makes sense also since it meets the needs of most consumers who tend to look for a simple, versatile, and cheaply available solution. Bagee is a simple innovation made up of an oval-shaped lightweight railing and dual hooks. A user does not need any manual to operate this product. Bagee can carry any luggage ranging from grocery bags to any other shopping bags and has space for multiple bags at one go. Compared to other similar products, Bagee has a pocket-friendly price and its shipping fee is also relatively low. One piece of Bagee retails for as low as $9.99 and the cost of shipping it to anywhere in America is a flat rate of $2.00. The production cost for one piece of Bagee is around $1.50 and this makes it possible to undercut its competitors. Bagee’s durability makes it relevant as well because it can be used for a long time without the worry of breakages.
Finally, given the feedback on Bagee’s appearance, we are considering coming up with a beatified product that is attractive. Because the aesthetic value of a product determines the kind of feedback it elicits from the consumers.
Works Cited
“Amazon.com: Mighty Handle. The Original All-Purpose Holder and Carrier. Holds Up To 50 Pounds of Groceries, Dry Cleaning, Paint Cans and Other Hard to Carry Things (2 Pack, Made in USA): Home & Kitchen.” Amazon.com. Spend Less. Smile More, www.amazon.com/Mighty-Green-Solutions-Handle-Pack/dp/B00DF30FYU
Burke, Molly. “Please Wait…” Please Wait… | Cloudflare, JungleScout, 25 Aug. 2021, www.junglescout.com/blog/amazon-seller-stories-click-and-carry/
Click & Carry, 6 Feb. 2021, clickandcarry.com/
Soori, Prashant Kumar, Kiran Mathews Abraham, and Mohamed Al-Mujtaba Ali Idris Osman. “Smart and Sustainable Shopping Cart for the Physically Challenged.” Intelligent Manufacturing and Energy Sustainability. Springer, Singapore, 2021.
Yang, Samantha. “20 Useful Products That’ll Completely Change How You Grocery Shop.” Tasty.co, 4 June 2019, tasty.co/article/samanthayang/products-to-make-grocery-shopping-efficient-1.
Wallmanb. (2021, February 4). How to carry groceries to your apartment. Renter Focused. https://renterfocused.com/how-to-carry-groceries-to-your-apartment/