'Click and collect' is a concept that metropolitan shoppers have been able to make use of for some time, and now online meat orders and deliveries are a reality in the western Queensland town of Longreach.
The service, which began this week, is being offered by Jed and Erin Marks and their Jemco Meats business.
Thanks to escalating shopfront overheads, the couple, who have been leasing the ex-Longreach Pastoral College slaughterhouse since June 2020, have decided to step into the world of online ordering.
"It's very daunting, stepping out of the plane, but the response has been overwhelming, both the good wishes and the amount of orders we've received," Mr Marks said on day one.
"Moving into the modern world this way means we can keep prices right down for the community, when everyone's doing it tough.
"People can still be guaranteed of the same quality meat and the same work ethic because we've got the same five staff."
Mr Marks said the estimated $84,000 yearly saving they were making by no longer factoring in leasing costs meant they could dramatically slice prices for their product, saying good rib fillet was now selling for $32.99 a kilogram, rather than the $52.99 he was charging from the Eagle Street outlet.
"People have said it's too cheap but I've done the pricing," he said. "That money could also be put towards employing another person."
The couple take text and phone orders between 6am and noon each day, then spend the next two hours preparing the orders, delivering them to Longreach town addresses for free between 2 and 3pm the same day.
Mr Marks said he was sure some of the flurry of orders this week was thanks to 'try and buy' interest, but he was confident they wouldn't be once-off purchases.
They have been filling orders for neighbouring towns, Barcaldine, Yaraka, Ilfracombe and the towns 'down the river' - Stonehenge, Jundah, Windorah - and that will continue from the slaughterhouse premises.
"The Britton family of Inland Rivers Meats have been fantastic to us," Mr Marks said.
"I ran my idea past them and Peter said, if you think it will work, go for it.
"They've put a lot of effort in to help us, such as putting in coldrooms.
"They did more in 30 days for the old college than the government did in a year.
"Everything we needed was totally fitted out and fully functional."
That's going to allow Jemco to increase the amount of meat they have on hand, and do more on starting meal preparation for customers.
"We'll be doing things like different flavoured rissoles, crumbed steaks - it's all about being able to spend more time for the people," Mr Marks said.
While they buy some of their meat away to cover restaurant orders, notably pork and high-end red meat, the rest of the beef, lamb and goat meat they offer is locally produced.
Mr Marks added that they weren't ruling out a main street shopfront in future, but online was what they were concentrating on for now.
Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
