Odaily's On-Site Experience at Polymarket's First New York Store: The Most Timely Charity and Marketing
- Core Viewpoint: Crypto prediction market platform Polymarket opened its first completely free grocery store in New York as a high-profile charity marketing campaign. While generating massive community buzz, it also cleverly addressed local political issues and boosted brand awareness.
- Key Elements:
- The event attracted far more people than expected. The scheduled 10 AM opening was delayed until 2 PM, but people were already lining up at 6 AM, with the queue stretching up to four blocks at one point.
- Most queuing citizens learned about the event through social media or community groups and were unfamiliar with Polymarket and its prediction market business, making the event effective for brand exposure.
- Polymarket donated $1 million to the New York Food Bank, equivalent to providing 3 million meals, to support efforts in addressing food insecurity.
- The timing of the event was subtle, seen as a market-driven preemptive response to the New York Mayor's campaign promise to open low-cost government grocery stores.
- On-site interviews revealed that New Yorkers generally face cost-of-living pressures, with monthly grocery expenses ranging from $80 to $200. The free supplies provided tangible assistance.
- This event is not an isolated case in the industry. Its competitor, Kalshi, recently conducted a similar free grocery marketing campaign, indicating a competitive landscape for prediction market platforms seeking offline customer acquisition.
Original | Odaily (@OdailyChina)
Author｜jk
On-site Interview｜Connie
On February 12th local time in the US, the crypto prediction market platform Polymarket held a charity event in Lower Manhattan, New York, opening a free grocery store named "The Polymarket," which is the first completely free grocery store in New York City. From fresh produce to daily necessities, all items were provided for free. The event will last until February 16th.
Odaily's New York-based correspondent Connie visited the store on its opening day, experienced the environment, and interviewed staff and many New Yorkers who came to queue. Let's take a look at what the grand scene was like on the first day of Polymarket's first "offline physical store."
Doors Open at 2 PM, But People Started Queuing at 6 AM, with the Line Wrapping Around the Entire Block
The event was originally scheduled to open at 10 AM, but due to delayed shipments, the opening was postponed to 2 PM. Despite this, New Yorkers arrived early to queue. On-site staff revealed that when he arrived at 7 AM, the first three people in line were already waiting there.
The first person in line was a woman named Tori. She told on-site reporter Connie that she had been standing there since 6 AM, even though it's winter.
"We got here at 6 AM," said Tori Hall. "We thought it would open at 10, but now we have to wait until 2 PM. But free is free, times are tough these days." Because the line was so long, by 11 AM, the queue had stretched beyond four blocks. Polymarket staff occasionally provided free coffee to the waiting crowd.
The queue had already extended beyond four blocks.
It is reported that by the time the on-site reporter left, because the crowd was so large, the New York Police Department had sent officers to inquire about the situation.
In Fact, Most People in Line Didn't Know What Polymarket Was
Interestingly, the vast majority of citizens who came to collect free groceries had no idea what Polymarket was. Ryan from Brooklyn learned about the event from the Instagram account "New York City for Free." When asked if he had heard of prediction markets, he admitted: "Never heard of it. What's Polymarket?" After learning it was a prediction market platform, he said, "Oh, I've heard of that, seems like a prediction website." (Not bad, at least they'll remember the brand this time.)
According to the on-site reporter's observations, there were many Chinese people in the queue, who learned about the event through WeChat groups. "They had no idea what a prediction market was, nor what Polymarket is," Connie discovered after interviews. "When I asked them if they knew what Polymarket was, they said, 'It's just supermarket, right?'. Some even thought it was the plan proposed by the New York Mayor to give out free food."
Polymarket-branded tote bag
Meticulously Planned Details and a Million-Dollar Donation
Every detail of this pop-up grocery store was carefully designed. According to Polymarket staff, the blue price tags in the store read "Milk, eggs, produce priced by the people," onion stickers featured Polymarket's logo, and even the store location was thoughtfully chosen.
"Milk, eggs, produce priced by the people"
The staff member, who previously worked at the NFL and for MrBeast, revealed: "CEO Shayne Coplan and the CMO are kids who grew up in New York public schools. This is their company's first charity event since its founding, and they wanted to give back to the city that raised the company." The CEO was also present on-site that day.
The entire store was built from scratch in just two days, stocked with a wide variety of goods: fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, milk, pasta, tomato sauce, olive oil, peanut butter, canned goods, snacks, beverages, and daily necessities like paper towels. Notably, with Valentine's Day approaching, the store also had a free flower section.
Customers entering the store received a tote bag, and market staff acted as personal shopping assistants, helping them select needed items. The first 300 people in line were guaranteed to receive free groceries.
On-site staff told Odaily that each customer could fill the shopping bag they were given, taking as much as they wanted within that limit, preferably items they would actually use.
One customer's haul
In addition to the physical grocery store, Polymarket also donated $1 million to the Food Bank For New York City. According to staff, this donation is equivalent to 3 million meals and will help address food insecurity for people across New York's five boroughs. However, when asked about the total cost of the event, staff declined to disclose.
The "Coincidence" with the Mayor's Proposal
Polymarket's move came at a very delicate time: New York City's new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, promised during his campaign to open at least one government-operated low-price grocery store in each borough, selling food at wholesale prices. Polymarket's free grocery store seemed like a response to this proposal, or a preemptive move, certainly capturing the spotlight.
In response, Mayor Mamdani posted a screenshot from The Onion on social media: "Heartbreaking: The Worst Person You Know Just Made a Great Point." Polymarket later expressed hope that the mayor would visit, stating, "We've been trying to get in touch."
Even more intriguing is that Polymarket is not the only prediction market platform engaging in such marketing. Its competitor Kalshi also offered $50 worth of free groceries per person at Westside Market in the East Village on February 3rd, attracting large crowds.
Despite the obvious marketing motive, the event did provide tangible help to New Yorkers. Tori Hall said her monthly grocery expenses range from $150 to $200. "Toilet paper is $30 to $40, a case of good water is $20 to $30, eggs are $8 to $9. It all adds up. Things are getting more expensive."
She praised the event: "This is amazing, so great. I highly recommend them, thank you so much for helping the community and the people."
Ryan from Brooklyn, who spends about $80 to $90 monthly on groceries, thought: "This is a great opportunity for those struggling financially or without money."
After the event concludes, Polymarket plans to shift to accepting community donations. The afternoons of February 15th and all day on the 16th (Presidents' Day) will focus on collecting non-perishable food items. All collected supplies will be distributed to partner organizations across New York City to help neighbors in need.
For more on-site videos and interviews, please follow Odaily's video channel.
