This Local Piggy launches trial

The founder of Auckland ‘‘hyperlocal’’ grocery delivery startup This Local Piggy is currently trialling the service to determine demand. Chloe Fong, former lead product manager on the NZ Covid Tracer App, said there was a lot of enthusiasm for the idea of shopping at local retailers but getting people to change their ways could be difficult. ‘‘There is a key difference between people saying they support local and people spending their money or changing their habits,’’ she said. ‘‘Grocery shopping is what people do every week and it is so ingrained it is almost autopilot … breaking through that habit requires quite a lot of conscious effort.’’ Fong had the idea for the startup during the level 4 lockdown last year, when many retailers were forced to close while supermarkets kept their doors open. The service is being trialled in Auckland suburbs until July 8. Each local hub will feature different food retailers, so the money spent by the community stays in the community, Fong said.