SNAP IT is the new on-demand delivery service that enables tradespeople to order spare parts and materials at the click of a button; digitizing an industry still operating on pen and paper. From valves, to pumps and even boilers; SNAP IT’s mobile app allows the user to instantly purchase over 60,000 plumbing and heating parts from 50+ retailers including Gas World, Embassy Plumbing, Pimlico Plumbers, E15, Jacobs Plumbing and WMI.
By partnering with wholesalers and specialist independent stores; the fast-growing digital marketplace has a higher probability than any bricks and mortar retailer of successfully fulfilling an order.
How did you come up with the idea for the company?
For over a decade I was working as a tradesman specialising in plumbing and heating working predominantly in central London. As my team of engineers grew, I found myself often spending significant time sourcing and delivering materials for my engineers to ensure sure they could focus on the job in hand and complete the jobs on time without falling behind on our weekly schedule.
In January 2019, at the beginning of a new year as with many people, I was reflecting on what I had achieved over the previous year and setting my targets for the year ahead. I ran a simple overview on my personal daily activities and identified that I’ve spent too much time procuring, sourcing, and delivering parts.
I was looking for a solution to allow me to do more and unlock time I used inefficiently. I came up with the concept of an instant delivery tool for the tradespeople that would be saving everyone time and allowing them to do more. Later that month we came up with the name that would embody the concept, and “Snap-It” was born we also loved the fact that the name could also be used as a verb.
Worker: John can you please buy and deliver me copper fittings…
John: Just Snap-It!
More from Interviews
- A Chat with Tom McNally, Founder at Self-Assessment App: Pie
- Global Marketer and Innovator – Interview With Nikolett Vilmos
- A Chat with André Picart, Co-Founder at Creative Marketing Agency: Tribera
- A Chat with Alice Li, Investment Partner and Head of North America at Foresight Ventures
- A Chat with Dan Buckley, CEO at AI-Powered SaaS Company: Cognexo
- A Chat with Chelsea Kelly, Founder at Women’s Gymwear Brand: ATIA Active
- A Chat with Giorgia Granata, Co-Founder at Eco-Friendly Wet Wipe Company: Wype
- Meet Michael Jerlis, Founder and CEO of EMCD and TechRound Blockchain32 Judge
How has the company evolved during the pandemic?
Snap-It MVP (minimum viable product) was put into action last days of February 2020, a month before the pandemic. Some investors told me to hold on to the money and wait until the pandemic is over. At this point, Snap-It was already trading, and we couldn’t consider/bear the idea of sitting and waiting indefinitely.
As a lockdown started the whole country was forced to stay at home and rely on their homes to function more than ever. Shops were forced to close. This was a very stressful time for everyone, and it proved very difficult to get in contact with the key people we needed to grow the business, to onboard shops and educate tradespeople. Zoom was still a very new concept in our industry and people were understandably preoccupied with other matters.
Snap-It started picking up momentum, we had merchant owners that reached out to us, where they were working at the shop counters themselves as they saw how selling materials contactless via Snap-It really helped their business function efficiently. During the first few months, I delivered materials myself on the moped with the help of a dozen of couriers. Snap-It enabled the trade to continue to function with a reduced risk of COVID exposure, by minimising contact points between people.
The pandemic was the worst and the best thing that could have happened to Snap-It.
What can we hope to see from SNAP IT in the future?
Snap-It has come a long way now. We are planning on expanding into different verticals. Electricals will be a natural next step forward followed by home improvements and DIY. My aim is to onboard shops to such increase the density whereby an order should not take longer than 10 – 15 minutes to be delivered. We are focusing also on the scheduled deliveries allowing tradespeople to plan their time with a precise efficiency.
In the next couple of years, we would like to expand into all larger cities nationally and offer our service to the general public.
Snap-It is the tool originally adopted by professionals that will become handy in every household for the homeowner.