Ganha-Pão
The aim of this project is to preserve the irreplaceable stories, relationships and experiences of the vendors from the Municipal Mercado; a traditional market in a heritage building based in Almada, Portugal.
Why? In a time of accelerating gentrification and capitalism, it is speculated among the locals, the government is waiting for the space to gradually fade away before replacing it with a contemporary business model. As they have witnessed with the rise of Air BnBs and housing crisis in Lisbon. This project researches and proposes a way to sustain the essence of the Mercado admist the pressure of a changing landscape.
What? The Municipal Mercado cannot be reduced to just to selling produce or it's location. It is the dynamic that is created around it. It is the changing of prices. It is familiar faces and regular customers. It is the warmth towards new people. It is the community that has worked besides each other for decades. It is the personalised elements of each store. It is the small talk before the purchase. The smell. The colours. The unpredictability. It is the humane aspects that set it apart.
How? An app that connects customers to the vendors directly. It gives the vendors the tools to compete with the corporate supermarket chains while keeping their human elements. Customers can schedule a video call with their favourite vendor to know about the produce directly. Through the app, there is also possibility for the vendors to expand their business, specially during COVID - 19, by providing their customers who were primarily the elderly, ready made meals (like a cloud kitchen) or delivering pre - cut vegetables. By empowering the vendors to join the gig economic model, there is a higher chance for flexibility and independence, so that they can sustain their livelihood.
