How do I get groceries delivered to my house?

Scenario 1 - Has it ever happened that you invite guests over for dinner and want to bake your yummy cake, but flour is missing from the pantry. Maybe it got over last week and you did not add to your purchase list when you went grocery shopping. I am sure we all have been through similar situations.

Scenario 2 – You have only two days of weekend to recharge and rewind yourself, but you end up spending a good four hours at the nearby crowded supermarket to get your grocery supply. How much do you wish that you do not have to stand in queue week after week? That your precious time is not spent on watching a movie or meeting your friends but at a crowded shop.

The above-mentioned scenarios are just two examples, which might make grocery shopping a challenging experience. However, we are not denying that there are times we enjoy the “long walk” in a supermarket, picking products and scanning them. Why not for homemakers and elderlies, this a good way to step out and see and make choices themselves. Also, you can compare products by comparing them there and then.

Have you ever thought – how do I get groceries delivered to my home? Wake up guys, yes, there are ways to get your daily supply right at your doorstep.

One option is to get your shopped products delivered at your doorstep would be to ask the local kirana store owner to get bought items “home-delivered”. But in that case, you have to coordinate the time with the delivery person for your availability and his convenience.

The nearby supermarket woos customers with the promise of home delivery of products sold. It might be tempting to fall into the trap but nothing comes for free. Items would be delivered only when you shop for a certain amount (often over and above Rs. 1000/-).

Thirdly, you purchase things online from portals which promise to deliver things at your home, as per your convenient time. It sounds very tempting, isn’t it? Following are a list of factors that you must take into account before taking the online delivery route.

First and foremost, you need to identify which are the trusted portals from where you can fill your shopping cart. Have you heard about Health-Fields, Amazon and Biomart.in, are some of e-tailers selling groceries. Yes, they have ads splashed all over the place.

Secondly, you need to know if these online portals can deliver purchased items to your city, as per your convenient time. Do they have the required logistics and supply chain infrastructure in place?

Thirdly, while shopping online, you must enjoy a bond of trust with the online marketplace. So, any online shopper should not only check the quality of products sold but also have confidence in sharing their credit or debit card details. After all online fraud or data, theft is a major threat for consumers. The sites should also have multiple payment options (like e-wallet, cash-on-delivery). Any online buyer should engage in some research before deciding where to buy your products. A buyer should have confidence that his or her chosen site if offering the best price for goods and products. So, when you order organic food from any e-marketplace, you should be confident that the products sold are 100 percent organic, genuine, and certified.  

Fourthly, an online shopper must know the basics of online portals' privacy policy and return policy. There might be times when products delivered to you might not meet your expectations or what the portal claims to be. How do you resolve any dispute, should be clearly mentioned on the site. Also, when you freeze the cart, does the portal keep you posted on tracking your order?

Fifthly, do they have a well-managed customer care team? The team should be quick to respond to queries and feedbacks. Ideally, the team should be operational 24*7. Their social media handles should be responsive.  

Next time, when you are lazy to step into a supermarket to buy groceries, check some of these sites and give it a try. Online shopping has come a big way in India. Like your local stores, there are a host of sites trying to woo you. Your smart and hassle-free shopping should be done after smart assessment and research. Once you have zeroed on the online site, you can plan a better weekend with your loved ones.