Phyllis Thomas needed her insulin prescription, and Lou Reich needed laundry detergent and stain remover.

Nicole Fye of Apollo fulfilled those requests through her Commodity Shoppers business, which is serving an expanding niche by catering to the needs of senior citizens and those with disabilities.

“Groceries seem to be the biggest need, and items from the pharmacy are a close second,” Fye said of the items she purchases, loads into her van and brings to her clients.

She’s also delivered much larger items, including a lift chair, a twin bed and a sheet of plywood.

“I deliver everything in the household,” Fye said. “It’s everything they need to survive and stay in their home.”

Having worked as a nursing assistant for 15 years, Fye was motivated to start her business in 2020. She noted that the challenges older and disabled people can face in obtaining essentials became even worse with the arrival that year of the covid-19 pandemic.

“There are a lot of people who need this service, and I want to be the one there to help them,” she said.

Reich, 79, is the treasurer of the secured condominium building where he lives in Unity. He is awaiting surgery to alleviate back problems, but in the meantime, he’s been unable to walk for any great distance.

“I need help especially with groceries,” he said. “I can’t walk through grocery stores.

“If (Fye) didn’t get things for me, I don’t know how I’d get them.”

Reich’s relatives don’t live nearby.

“Sometimes it’s tough for them to do things for me,” he said.

“A lot of the people I’m helping don’t have anybody else,” Fye said.

Fye shops at local stores for the specific products and brands her clients want and will place online orders on their behalf for hard-to-find items.

“I have the items shipped to my home and then deliver them to my client,” she said, adding that she helps stock items in the client’s pantry or kitchen if needed.

She pointed out major package carriers might have to leave orders at the entrance of a secured multi-floor residential building. For a client with mobility issues, “It’s not doing them any good leaving it at the front door.”

Thomas, 73, who lives in a senior community near Delmont, was less than satisfied when placing delivery orders directly with stores.

“They would come when they wanted to,” she said, “and they may not show up because they may not have the drivers. So you’re not going to get your groceries that day.”

That was a particular problem when Thomas ordered sliced fresh fruit.

She said Fye’s service is “totally different,” with deliveries timed to meet Thomas’ schedule. “She knows what you like and what you don’t like,” Thomas said.

Fye has seen her client base grow by about 20% in the past year. She has picked up several new clients through the three Charley Family Shop ’n Save supermarkets in Greensburg and Murrysville.

While customers can order items to be delivered from the stores through Instacart, co-owner Tom Charley noted some people don’t have ready access or the comfort level to place online orders. Fye’s service provides a valuable alternative for those customers to have their needs fulfilled.

“She has a really great concept she’s working on, and we want to help her grow,” Charley said of Fye. “It’s doing a great thing for the community.”

Fye said she tries to keep her services affordable for her clients, who are mostly on fixed incomes. She has customers spread across Westmoreland, Armstrong, Indiana and Allegheny counties but does not add any mileage charge to her hourly fee.

Her clients now include residents of Longwood at Oakmont, a senior retirement community in Allegheny County that is part of the Presbyterian SeniorCare Network.

Fye’s service “allows residents to get their shopping done when and where they need it, which is especially useful if they don’t have or can’t use a car,” said Jonathan Szish, director of corporate communications and public relations for the network. “In a world where many companies want you to complete an order online, Nicole will take orders by phone, which our residents appreciate. She calls before making deliveries so residents are aware — she doesn’t just drop their orders on the porch without notice.”

More information about Commodity Shoppers is available on its Facebook page or by calling 724-388-7100.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)