E-commerce is one of the online evolutions that India witnessed in the past 7-8 years & this evolution has changed the way India functions. Everything happens online and the availability of services and service providers on the internet contributed the most in this difference. Comfort is not a luxury anymore, but a mere handset with an internet connection.
This is evident as the fashion online retail, electronic online retail, and other categories boomed rapidly in the past few years and have found their customer base but the emerging online grocery retail is still growing and looking for its grip in India. Though there are many who have shifted to this medium, there is still some hesitation in buying groceries online which is why it is important to bring out its benefits over the traditional way of buying groceries in the right manner:
- Huge Variety
Clearly, the variety available at the local stores is lesser because of space constraints but when it comes to online business, variety and the no. of products supersede in comparison to that of the traditional shopping experience. - Home Delivery
The best part about buying stuff online is that it is delivered at the doorstep of the house. The effort of carrying heavy bags from the store is definitely not a part of this smart shopping choice. With the young, old are also becoming used to the technology and therefore, without worrying about anything, they too can shop from the comfort of their couch. - Better Prices
The local retail shop owners don’t keep enough margins to sell the products at discounts and that is when the online e-commerce players come into the picture. Their survival technique is ‘retail quantity at wholesale prices’ and every rational consumer would buy from a place with the least price and these online-only businesses excel at providing huge discounts and offers to its customers. There are invisible Indirect Savings as well when one shops online like saving petrol cost to supermarkets, parking ticket cost, carry bags cost, the food you eat at the Mall etc. These are the indirect costs which people tend to ignore but this amounts to huge savings. - Time Saving
This procedure not only vouches on saving money but also time. Instead of wasting time stuck in traffic, in long billing queues in the supermarket, parking headaches etc., one can choose to stay at home and opt for an easy checkout saving a whole lot of time for something productive. No matter the weather or traffic conditions outside, online grocery shopping can be done irrespective of that. - 24X7 Shopping
Anyone can place an order at any time. Odd hours, Sundays etc. don’t matter because here, one has an easy access to the whole supermarket day and night. One click and the supermarket would appear on the screen. This benefit allows shopping when one is free and therefore does not have to rush to the store before it closes. - Clean Shopping
Shopping carts in the supermarkets for sure carries germs and infections because of it being driven by numerous hands from time to time. But the cart one would stuff while shopping online is germ-free which nullifies the risk of diseases and welcomes healthy lifestyle. - Easier to find
Though virtual supermarkets claim to have a higher variety of products, it is still easier to find products by searching it on the app or website and check their availability instead of roaming around in the aisles of huge shops looking for the product eventually tiring oneself. - No impulse buys
When in a supermarket, one tends to indulge in impulse buying leading to a shakedown in the budget which is often regretted. Whereas while shopping online, such issues don’t arise because one is simply supposed to search for the required products and add them to cart. Small Kids with their ever-growing demands is one of the other headache people have to face but here, no such problem occurs. - Not tiring or boring
In a survey, it was concluded that men get bored of grocery shopping within 26 minutes. The process is not just boring but also tiresome for many women as well, resulting in frustration and irritation. But the virtual grocery shopping experience is quick and not at all tiring leaving plenty of energy to put in something better & productive. - Easy Returns and Replacement
Imagine you purchased a bag of rice from the mall’s supermarket & you found bugs in it – How would you get it replaced? Will you be willing to go back to the mall and fight for its replacement? No, right! But with online grocery, it’s just one tap away. It is their customer support and after-sales services which drive people towards this medium. - Reordering
One generally buys the same set of products for daily requirements like 20 kg atta, 5-litre oil, 2 packets of salt etc. but buying them, again and again, every fortnight is a boring and a tiring task and supermarkets also do not provide the option of repeating order. But reordering with online grocery shopping is very easy – one tap and it’s done. All the products of the previous order will automatically get in the cart on the buyer’s command, a few changes can also be made easily and the monthly shopping is done in less than 5 minutes.
Conclusion
Overall online grocery shopping experience is not just convenient but also encourages savings. Everyone is busy nowadays with their work and responsibilities and this sure helps in solving a big-time problem.
Reliance revolutionized the mobile services in India way back in the 90s and did the exact same thing by bringing 4G in every household at affordable prices. Jio has fuelled an increase in mobile internet penetration by making cost-effective options available to the common man of India.
According to a report by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, India has around 300 million active internet subscribers out of which Mukesh Ambani’s Jio has over a 100 million active users roped in just 170 days. The IRL chief claimed that Indians have adopted internet services faster than any other country in the world.
With more and more people going online in India, e-grocery is the present and very soon will see rapid growth in the future as ‘Time is Money’ and this smart choice helps in saving both.
About Author:
Shrenuj Jalan is a Professional CA,CEO-Founder of www.BazaarCart.com, Started this Website at the age of 19 & Also Act as a Business & Management Consultant for Various Schools & Coaching Institutes in Delhi-NCR.
He loves to Write about social reforms,Politics,Business,Technology & Sports-Loves Adventure Sports.
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