MILKRUN review: It delivers the goods in 10 minutes
Summary
Quick verdict: When you want to bring home the bacon (or bread, or baby food), MILKRUN can deliver groceries to your door in a matter of minutes.
- Delivery is super fast
- Very convenient
- Great value on items and delivery cost
- Limited curated product range
- Items can go out of stock quickly
- Delivery areas currently quite limited
Important Update, 11 April 2023: MILKRUN has announced it is shutting down across Australia due to poor economic conditions.
MILKRUN is a grocery delivery service that launched in Sydney's CBD in September 2021.
Its eco-friendly ethos sees it deploy couriers on electric bikes to deliver grocery orders across the city in a matter of minutes. The official pledge (at the time of review) is delivery within 10 minutes, and when we tested the service (on 5 different occasions), they consistently hit this target.
How does it get your order packed and dispatched so quickly? The service, which currently operates in around 35 suburbs across inner-city Sydney, has created a network of warehouses dubbed "dark stores" where stock is held. This allows them to quickly pack and fulfil orders, getting the order into houses super-swiftly.
Just how swiftly, you may be wondering? In our last test run, we received an "on our way" notification just 1 minute and 58 seconds after placing the order. Impressive.
You can read the original review below.
Image: Tegan Jones/Finder
MILKRUN service
Customer service is on-point, both on the app and in person. Communication is clear and immediate, with ongoing notifications to update you about the progress of your order. The delivery riders were pleasant and the whole transaction was seamless.
MILKRUN delivery range
Right now, MILKRUN delivers to 35 suburbs across Sydney's inner city. As the business grows (it's expanded to 500 staff since launching in 2021), both the product range and delivery area is expected to expand.
MILKRUN staffing
One thing we want to be sure of when using these types of services: are we getting our goodies so quick and so cheap at the expense of someone working for next to nix? MILKRUN puts our minds at ease, explaining that they do not embrace the "gig economy" business model. "We're not part of the 'gig economy'. We offer MILKRUN riders full-time employment with all the benefits, like holiday pay and super," the company confirms.
MILKRUN product range
MILKRUN currently claims a stock range of 2,000 individual items, ranging from fresh fruit and vegetables to dairy goods, bakery items and tinned food. This is not designed to replace your weekly grocery shop – instead, it's a "top-up" service. It's ideal if you're half-way through making dinner and realise you've run out of spaghetti (and some bananas and a loaf of bread for brekky wouldn't hurt?), rather than having to dash to the supermarket.
Fees and prices
MILKRUN charges a flat $2.99 fee for orders up to $30, which most would agree is a super reasonable price to pay for the convenience of having your emergency order of tomato sauce, nappies and ice-cream delivered to your door. Delivery is free for orders over $30. The prices in the app are on par with regular grocery store prices. For example, a loaf of Helga's Traditional White bread is $3.99 on MILKRUN and $3.90 at Woolworths.
How to use the MILKRUN app
The app is intuitive, easy to navigate and allows you to browse product ranges easily. "Can't fault the app," confirms our tester, Kelly from Bondi. "It's been incredibly straightforward and user friendly." Sign-up is also a simple process that only takes a couple of minutes. You can also browse as a guest before signing in or inputting your details, which is handy if you want to take a peak before committing.
As an FYI the MILKRUN app is available on iOS and Android.
Should you use MILKRUN?
- Use it if: you only need a few items rather than a full grocery shop, or you're in Sydney briefly and need to stock up for a brief visit
- Don't use it if: you prefer specific brands or products, or you need more than 1 bag of groceries
"This ain't your grandfather's milk run. This is the MILKRUN of the future – groceries delivered to your door in 10 minutes or less. What a time to be alive!"
This is the first thing you'll read on the MILKRUN website or app, and it sets the tone for the experience you're about to have. It has a really unique brand that grabs attention, with clever and funny marketing on social media, which is what first hooked us in.
But then, we tried the app. And it delivered! We mean that literally: our grocery order arrived in a matter of minutes. The whole experience from sign-up to holding our paper bag of goodies in our hot little hands was quick, well-communicated and seamless. If you're looking for a huge range, you might be disappointed. But if you're chasing quick, convenient and affordable groceries, MILKRUN delivers.
Alternatively, you can check out other services like Quicko and InstantGrocery.
How we tested
We ordered from MILKRUN on 5 different occasions, on different days, dates and times. Our average spend was $22-$31 per order. We ordered a range of products, including ice-cream, muesli bars, bug spray, household cleaning products and fruit and veggies.
