Hold onto your bonnets: Reading Terminal Market now has a modern, responsive website.
A few months before its 125th anniversary, Philly’s original food hall and market has rolled out a brand new layout for its online presence. Designed by relatively new local firm 57 South, it’s mobile-friendly, full of photos, has easy-to-access information about parking and other coupons, and features an interactive 3-D map (which, if you’ve ever been lost among the stalls, could be very handy when you’re actually there visiting).
But that’s not all. The new site, which took around six months to build, also offers online shopping.
The web store is being called a test, and for now is only promised for the busy Thanksgiving season. It’s not a delivery service like Instacart, which has offered logged-in users access to some RTM items for a few years now. Instead, the direct ordering works on a scheduled pickup system — one that does not require you to search for parking.
Here’s how to use it:
- Browse the offerings, which include meal-making goods from 20 vendors (think cheese, fish, poultry, gravy, spices, teas, olive oils, meats and more)
- When checking out with a credit or debit card, choose a preferred pickup time (at least 1 hour after you place the order)
- A market rep will shop for your items, then store them appropriately (fridge, freezer, etc.) until you arrive
- Wait for your “shipping confirmation” notification telling you your order is ready
- When you’re 10 minutes away, call the market and a representative will meet you curbside with your groceries
- That’s it!
If the service goes over well, said RTM General Manager Anuj Gupta, it could be extended and implemented permanently.
“We hope this proves that there is demand,” Gupta said. “If there is, we will make an investment in building a robust system that represents the entire Market shopping/dining experience.”
In addition to the new site, RTIM is extending Sunday hours (for most vendors) so it’s open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
