ONLINE SPECIAL ....................Websites selling fruits, vegetables find more customers

Websites selling fruits, vegetables find more customers





When Bangalore based Sunitha Thampi moved to Mumbai with her husband, the couple had a rather tough time settling in and found virtually no time for sabzi-shopping. They had heard of online grocery sites in Bangalore that provided fruits and vegetables, but had never tried them out.The rather strenuous move to Mumbai, though, forced them to opt for online vegetable shopping.

They moved to Mumbai three years ago and have been doing their sabzi shopping online ever since. Incidentally , their move to Mumbai occurred around the same time a number of big players in the online grocery market set shop in the city.

“When we began ordering fruits and vegetables online, we were the only ones in our building to do so. Our neighbours were curious and began asking us how we found the service. Thanks to us, many of them have also begun ordering fruits and vegetables online,“ says Thampi.

The growth of online vegetable shopping in Thampi's building virtually reflects the rapid expansion of this segment in Mumbai.

When BigBasket.com entered the Mumbai market in 2012, 40%-50% of their orders each day , which worked out to around 200-300 orders, included fruits and vegetables. Today, 80% of their daily orders include fruits and vegetables, which work out to 7,000-8,000 orders a day.

Similarly , when LocalBanya.com set shop in Mumbai in May 2012, 10-15% of the orders each day included fruits and vegetables, working out to around 15 orders a day . Today, 60% of the 800-900 orders they receive each day include fruits and vegetables, working out to over 500 orders a day. Last year, around 12% of an average order of Rs 1,500 received by LocalBanya.com included fruits and vegetables. Today , the figure works out to around 15%, a significant increase, given how cheap fruits and vegetables are in comparison to other grocery items such as atta or oil.

Just why would Indian consumers, who enjoy touching and feeling their tomatoes to ensure they aren't over-ripe before buying them, suddenly switch to online shopping. The answer may have much to do with the fact that online grocery sites allow cash on delivery, much like the local bhaajiwala, and also allow customers to return goods they're not happy with.

“You want to touch and feel your vegetables before buying them because you want the best quality . But once you're assured good quality from an online site, and they immediately offer a refund for items you're not happy with, where's the problem?“ asks Thampi, who admits she was initially a tad nervous about online vegetable shopping.

“We have a no-questions - asked return policy . Customers have the right to reject any item at the door if they're not happy with it,“ says Rashi Choudhary , co-founder, LocalBanya.com.

“We have found that those who have been shopping with us for three to four months become regular customers,“ says Vipul Parekh, one of the founders of BigBasket.com.

Both BigBasket and LocalBanya source F&Vs from local markets such as APMC.

“We also source them from regions where they are grown.We buy oranges from Nagpur and apples from Kashmir,“ says Parekh.

They also have an eye on foreign markets for exotic items. “We're looking to import the likes of artichokes, rambutan and mangosteen,“ says Choudhary , who's eying countries like Holland and Taiwan.

Parekh says BigBasket.com works with importers for various items. “We get our apples from US, Australia and New Zealand,“ he adds.

Anahita Mukherji

TOI20APR15