The Vancouver-based company that aimed to deliver groceries within 15 minutes of online orders being placed has at least temporarily stopped Vancouver deliveries.
This comes one day after BIV confirmed that the company had shut down its North Vancouver operations, after pausing Toronto operations last week.
The company had operated out of six Vancouver depots, which were each around 3,000 square feet, and enabled the company to operate in the downtown core as well as part of the northwest part of East Vancouver and northern parts of Vancouver's West Side.
Customers last week in Vancouver started noticing that on the company's app, a message popped up saying that the service was temporarily closed. This was also the case in North Vancouver, where the company had operated one depot.
The company held a 50-per-cent-off sale on July 2, further fuelling speculation that the company was liquidating its inventory. Its depots mostly stocked shelf-stable items, but also included refrigerated items, such as meats, and bakery items from nearby businesses.
The company was not accepting orders today from parts within its normal geographic footprint in Vancouver.
BIV photographer Rob Kruyt found no one at the company's depot at 1133 Granville Street. At a second depot, at 2121 Granville Street, he found an open door, walked in and spoke to staff who said that the depot was closed.
(Image: The Tiggy depot at 2121 Granville Street earlier today had some merchandise on shelves but some staff who were there said that the operation was closed | Rob Kruyt)
People on social media have identified themselves as Tiggy employees who were told that the company was ceasing Vancouver operations.
BIV asked Tiggy publicist Victoria Kirk about these reports and she said that she had learned that Tiggy planned to pause its Vancouver operations, but she was not given a date for that break in service.
She said her understanding was that the company planned to regroup and rejig its operations so it could relaunch with a more sustainable business model.
BIV yesterday and today requested an interview with Tiggy CEO Eugene Bisovka, but he has been unavailable.
Bisovka in April told BIV that his company had received $11 million in venture funding.
The company launched in Vancouver in September with one grocery depot, and quickly added more, Bisovka said in April. North Vancouver and Toronto operations launched earlier this year. Bisovka in April suggested that operations could sprout to Burnaby.
