A newly launched online grocer has revealed plans to launch an AI-powered shopping assistant and physical store.
Launched this month, 4Way Foods offers UK shoppers an extensive range of world foods alongside everyday essentials with next-day delivery.
The website – which the company says is a first phase ‘minimum viable product’ – offers “a proper, all-in-one grocery experience” said 4Way chief technology officer Ola Sulaiman.
“Many sites focus on world foods but don’t let you complete your full shop, so you’re forced to go elsewhere for British staples and everyday essentials,” Sulaiman told The Grocer. “With 4Way Foods, you can fill your basket with everything from your favourite African, Caribbean or Asian ingredients to teabags, baked beans, hotdogs and kitchen foil, all in one seamless shop.”
The site has several products that are labelled as price-matching or beating Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda. The competitive pricing was “fundamental to who we are” Sulaiman said.
“Too often, cultural groceries come with a premium, and they really shouldn’t. Our pricing strategy is designed to keep things fair, competitive, and sustainable long term. We’ve worked hard to build smart partnerships with suppliers, streamline fulfilment, and keep margins honest,” he added. “So the low prices are here to stay. We want our customers to feel like they’re getting value, not exploited.”
The company was founded last year by Sulaiman and Larry Uriri, its CEO, “because doing a proper shop for the foods we grew up with still feels harder than it should be”. A fundraise from friends and family allowed the startup to build its launch website and establish a fulfilment centre in Liverpool.
“We’ve done a lot with a little and we’re now looking ahead to a more formal funding round to power the next stage,” Uriri said.
An AI assistant – called 4Copilot – is set to launch early next year, featuring “natural language shopping”, meal plan generation, and live product comparisons.
“It’s going to completely reimagine online grocery,” said Sulaiman. “Instead of scrolling for 30 minutes and forgetting what you came for, you’ll be able to say things like, ‘I want to cook a African Sunday dinner for six, what do I need?’ or ‘Plan me a budget-friendly Caribbean meal plan under £40 with no red meat’. The AI will build your basket, suggest recipes, adjust for dietary needs, and even find savings.
“It’s like having a super-smart shopping assistant who understands culture, budget, and food habits,” he added.
A physical store is set to launch in the first quarter of next year.
“Food is social. It’s cultural. It’s connection. The physical store we’re planning won’t just be shelves and tills, it’ll be a space to discover, taste, collect your order, and connect,” Uriri said. “Think of it like a cultural grocery hub, part shop, part event space, part experience. It’s our way of bringing the brand to life in a tangible way while still keeping our digital backbone strong.”
While major supermarkets had made progress on their world food offerings, “it’s still very surface-level” the company said. “The world food aisle is often a token shelf with limited choice, high prices and inconsistent stock. What’s missing is depth, care, and cultural understanding.”
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