Bodega startup prompts backlash from 'real' bodegas
NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - If you live in this part of the Bronx, G Deli Market is a popular spot. Anything you need -- from hot ham and cheese to beer or detergent -- they got you covered.
But now a new company known as Bodega is intended to add convenience and potentially compete with traditional brick-and-mortar stores.
Here is how it works. Users with the Bodega app find a cabinet, basically a vending machine, near them, type in the unique ID number, and then take the items they need. Bodega charges your credit card. The cabinets are Internet connected, made of wood and glass, and designed to be put in common areas.
The rollout wasn't all positive. Some took to social media to voice their opinions.
Paul McDonald, co-founder and CEO of Bodega, had this to say: "Challenging the urban corner store is not and has never been our goal." The former Google employee added: "We want to bring commerce to places where commerce currently doesn't exist. Rather than take away jobs, we hope Bodega will help create them."
Marquis Garcia, the owner G Deli Market, said nothing will put him out of business.
Henry has been in this neighborhood since 1972. He said the one constant has been that a bodega has always been on this block. He said he shops there every day.