Can You Really Shop Zara Via Takeaway In Manchester?
MY DELIVERY driver has just been promoted to my own personal shopper, fashion stylist and Whatsapp buddy in the space of an hour.
My driver - as Manc as two Bezzes and a chip barm - has come over all Gok Wan.
It’s his first fashion delivery job as a driver for the 24-hour Jinn takeaway app (which launched here in Manchester in 2015 following a successful year in London) and he's been tasked with finding me an outfit in the large fashion vortex that is Zara on New Cathedral Street.
The app keeps him busy, he tells me later, as amongst the 40 or so city-centre restaurants on the books, customers can also shop groceries, cosmetics, electrical products and fashion within the hour. Evidently, popping to the shops is soon to become a thing of the past.
A rival to apps such as UberEats and Deliveroo, Jinn competes in the burgeoning app-delivery market by adding these extra delivery services - be it for paracetamol, coffee or cardigan.
For the fashionistas of Manchester, the first fashion stores to be listed on Jinn are Zara, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols. Elsewhere in the UK, the likes of H&M and John Lewis are featured.
During my first try, I order a new dress from Zara (£22.99) on my lunch break, and my driver - as Manc as Bez eating a chip barm - has come over all Gok Wan.
The dress I order is not in stock so he calls me from the store to let me know he’s found an alternative dress with what he thinks are “bell sleeves".
Problem is, I’m not so sure it'll fit my aesthetic.
So, going the extra mile, he sends me snaps of his style choice via Whatsapp with a close up of said sleeves. “Hiya love, what do you think, shall I buy it?” he asks (his star rating and tip growing more by the minute).
Surprisingly, the driver made an excellent choice. The bell sleeves are cute and trendy. I wear the dress to London Fashion Week. I may add him to my shopping Whatsapp group.
What's more, my dress arrives in the space of an hour, despite my driver’s fashion conundrum.
The novelty of having a driver buy my clothes and deliver it to my office is not wasted on me. I’ve always considered myself as a 'Lady of Labour' rather than leisure, but today I’m sitting back and allowing Jinn to do the work. Shopping for myself is simply far too hard and unnecessary in this crazy digital age. Instead, Jinn and apps like it make it all so dangerously easy. It should really be marketed as 'the app for lazy sods'.
Still, how many more fashion emergencies am I going to have where walking to the high street or ordering next day delivery would not suffice? Though, in a demanding world where time is a luxury, Jinn certainly has a place.
Let's weigh up the pros and cons:
Order: Zara ribbed dress £22.99 - not in stock but was given an alternative.
Delivery: ordered 11:23 am and received 12:23.
Delivery costs: £7.55 in total (blimey). Delivery charges vary from proximity to the store. It cost £1.95 to deliver from Zara, while the service fee came up to £5.63. Then there's the option of a tip for the driver. Sure, it's a bit on the pricey side. Still, considering the service is faster than next-day delivery the cost isn't unreasonable.
Pros: Considering not one of the men in my life has ever successfully purchased an item of clothing that I like or have worn, Jinn's delivery driver went above and beyond. Great service from the driver. The app itself is simple to use.
Cons: Unlike dedicated online stores, there are limited items listed on the Jinn app currently. However, you're able to make a 'custom order' at your store of choice, although you risk that item not being in stock. You're also not able to order from more than one store at a time.
Find out more about the Jinn app on the website
