Sanga and Mahela venture into online grocery retail with Providore

Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena need no introduction when it comes to the world of cricket. What may be less commonly known is that they are also intrepid entrepreneurs, seeking out meaningful, quality investments to positively impact everyday life.

They have personally invested themselves in many successful start-up ventures, their latest being Providore, an online grocery and household marketplace for Sri Lanka.

Being familiar with online grocery retail, due to frequent overseas travel and having come to appreciate a certain delivery and service standard, Co-Founder and Partner Sangakkara stated, “COVID has changed the way most of us live. Working from home, distance learning and video calls are part of everyday life now, as is taking the necessary precautions for the safety of ourselves, our families and the greater community. So, not only was it important to bring safe and reliable online grocery shopping to Sri Lanka but also to provide exceptional service and customer experience. Together with our founding partners, we set out to build something that would redefine online grocery shopping and delivery.”

Providore is an exciting new grocery-tech app purpose-built for the Sri Lankan market with functionality such as real-time stock visibility, order scheduling up to four weeks in advance, Express two-hour deliveries, My Shopping List for quick ordering, multiple payment options and a dedicated delivery fleet with infrastructure for transporting different types of products (including cold chain delivery).

Aside from Sangakkara and Jayawardena, the other founding partners comprise the executive directorship of the company, bringing together experience from IT, F&B and hospitality, retail and finance. 

The technology solution was developed in collaboration with leading eCommerce and technology providers from both Sri Lanka and the US. And a John Keells Logistics (JKL) partnership for their expertise in backend logistics.
“EFutures is our strategic technology partner and was instrumental in using best-in-class of technologies to execute our vision. The mandate being to view every aspect of the solution from a consumer’s perspective and not a retailer’s. And together, we created a purpose-built, fully-functional shopping experience, that ensures a seamless customer experience from order placement to delivery. That is the Providore promise,” said CEO Meneka Galgamuwa, emphasising that data analytics and AI will also play a key role in focused, individualised customer experience going forward. 

In order to ensure logistics were aligned to support the technology solution, Providore partnered with JKL to run its backend processes out of a dedicated 20,000 square foot Warehouse and Fulfilment Centre in Rajagiriya. Unlike most online retailers, who use third party delivery platforms, Providore chose to include delivery as part of its service as it was the only way to control the end-to-end customer experience and guarantee safe and hygienic handling and transport of food items,” said COO Janaka Marasinghe. 

From daily essentials, fresh produce, meats and seafood, everyday supermarket items, premium imported selections, ready-to-eat meals and speciality artisan products, Providore offers a carefully curated inventory for a diverse spectrum of consumers.