The UK's first online marketplace for the grocery industry is set to launch early next month.

Emarket will provide a neutral platform for manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers across the globe to trade in real time in what is being dubbed "eBay for the grocery industry".

The launch was initially scheduled for October but has been delayed until 9 November while approximately 400 new members are registered. The new members take the total number of subscribers to about 1,000. They include Kimberly-Clark, Kraft and Heineken, according to co-founder Ravi Sharma.

Online business to-business trading was ready to move into the mainstream, he said. "Now that online trading is so engrained on a B2C level, we can go to people and say you can click and buy, order a full truckload online, and can get reliable delivery."

eBay for grocery (analysis; 31/10/09)