goPuff delivery service launches in Newark, just in time for finals

Satisfying that late-night snack craving just got a bit more convenient for students at the University of Delaware.
goPuff, the on-demand delivery service that promises to have your goods at your door in 30 minutes or less, is now available in Newark.
Delivery through the service is available from noon until 4:20 a.m. (Ha ha ha.)
The service, started by cofounders Rafael Ilishayev and Yakir Gola while at Drexel University in 2013, is currently available in 17 major markets, including its flagship Philadelphia, New York and Boston.
goPuff is different from other delivery services because it has local warehouses in every city, stocked with inventory, allowing the company to control the experience and bring products directly to the customer.
“We started goPuff when we were sophomores living in a six-person house,” Ilishayev said. “We started the company to fulfill a need. People had a notion that delivery services were expensive and inconvenient. Two things a delivery service should not be. We wanted to change that.”
Ilishayev said the pair decided to expand to Newark because customers have been requesting the service.
“We have gotten a lot of traction going around Newark, especially over the past few months. We just thought, we should give it to them,” he said.
Newark is the seventeenth market for the venture-backed company, who is currently undergoing a massive expansion and launching in a new city every three weeks. Notably, it took almost four years for the startup to expand to Newark, which isn’t so far from its flagship Philadelphia.
The eighteenth market, Bucks County, in set to open in just a few days. The new location will be goPuff’s first suburban location.
Using goPuff is easy. By downloading the app, or logging onto the website, and entering your address, customers will be able to enter their orders. Products are arranged by categories, such as “munchies,” “sips N’ chasers” and “essentials.” The service has a delivery fee of $1.95, but the fee is waived for orders of $49.
Shop goPuff
The delivery service offers more than 3,000 products, consisting of everything from snacks, beverages, and desserts to home supplies and electronics.
According to Ilishayev, the popularity of items varies, depending on the market, but he does see a consistent demand for a couple items.
“Ice cream is popular everywhere,” he said. “People always want Ben & Jerry’s. We get a lot of orders for Nerds Rope, too.” According to an article in the New York Post, the app experienced a 143 percent growth in sales of the retro candy on 4/20.