How VARUS plans to become a tech leader in daily services, household needs, and e-grocery

31.07.2025

Oleh Spirin, Director of E-Commerce at VARUS

The VARUS supermarket chain is transforming its approach to online sales. Starting in July, the company has been implementing a new e-commerce strategy that shifts it from a traditional retailer to a tech-driven platform — focusing not just on groceries, but on fulfilling everyday life scenarios related to food, and later, household needs. To achieve this, a separate structure is being established with its IT team, marketing, delivery service, and product marketplace.

The first partner will be VARUS itself, but the ambition is to create a destination where customers can meet everyday needs — from a dinner kit to solutions like “guests in an hour” or “a healthy week.”

The project differs from services like Glovo or Loko. VARUS isn’t competing on speed — it competes on comfort, personalization, and smart life planning.

From Grocery Baskets to Life Scenarios

In the new model, deliveries will work through fixed time slots and include automation of household routines. VARUS is developing services for weekly shopping, subscription-based meal kits, intelligent basket generation, integration with calendars, and smart home systems. This enables a shift from spontaneous orders to planned and delegated household tasks, explains Spirin.

Together with the startup Neomi, the company is creating an AI agent that will eventually become a digital household assistant — a single access point for ready-made solutions, services, and products.

Unlike traditional e-commerce focused on grocery delivery, VARUS is reformatting itself into an infrastructure operator for everyday life scenarios. This goes beyond food to include household care, leisure, services for children and pets, repairs, and hygiene.

Up to $30 Million in Investment on the Path to a Household Assistant

The MVP launch is scheduled for early 2026. The focus is not just on a marketplace but on an intelligent assistant capable of adapting to users’ habits. By that time, VARUS plans to launch a pilot integration with local suppliers and craft brands.

Overall, investment in the new platform is expected to triple over two years — reaching up to $30 million. The goal is to become a tech leader in daily services, household management, and e-grocery by shaping a new consumer culture: less routine, more care, and deeply personalized.