We live in adigital age. The Indian government is working to take sure that the benefits ofthe Internet are available to every household in India. Today it is possible tobuy almost anything online, whether it be food, appliances, or electronics.Changes in consumer demand and the consumers themselves are afoot.
As the typicalperson's salary has increased, more people have been able to afford things thatpreviously had been out of their reach. In the larger urban areas, consumershave started purchasing goods online from various eCommerce stores. Consumerswho live outside of the city are slowly catching up to higher demand. Now, theywant additional shopping possibilities that is customised to their tastes.
Differences in Shopping Experiences
For Local stores, Kirana Shops, inneighbourhood providing a shopping experience with more personal touches andemotions presents a whole online shopping side from the norm; whereas, fore-commerce, offering consumers the flexibility of shopping preferences and noemotional ties present a totally different shopping experience. This is a hugecompetition between two totally distinct shopping sites.
Offline Local Stores requires consumers tospend some time outside, away from their bustling lives. Online shoppersbenefit from spending less time in their busy schedules and use their extratime to do something more productive. The optimum customer experience is achievedby integrating both digital and physical distribution channels. This is madepossible through the use of omnichannel marketing. Businesses such as ORDERHOOD are assisting Local Stores/Kirana Shops in providingtheir consumers with omnichannel grocery shopping. By doing this, the Kirana Stores may both expand theircustomer base and enhance their profits.
Rise in eCommerce & Onlinemarketplaces
Because theinternet has gotten cheaper, platform access has been easier, and onlinegrocery stores are benefiting from it. These platforms are referred to ase-commerce platforms. Furthermore, eCommerce sites offer a wide selection ofproduct categories and pricing points from which to choose.
Despite attemptsto modernise the Kirana stores, manyof the traditional ones are sticking on to their traditional ways of doingbusiness. Consumers have more buying options online now, which makes it moredifficult for them to compete. Having an online presence allows theneighbourhood stores to take advantage of the numerous applications ofconsumer-friendly technology in the business.
For the mostpart, eCommerce has a brilliant reliable delivery system, an adequate supplychain, and good product safety. But they have an unfavourable return policy.Because of these concerns, the majority of consumers avoid buying online.Because the Indian way of thinking is to touch and view the product beforebuying it, it's traditional for customers to try before they buy. Anotherreason that people avoid buying groceries from eCommerce stores is the lack oftrust that the consumers have in online mode of shopping.
And not onlythat, eCommerce warehouses are required in order for the online marketplaces tobe able to supply their products. They will also require a new system that canserve the products and drop them off at the consumers' doorsteps. The click andcollect system is a great way to cut down on the expense of selling onlinewhile avoiding the hassle of delivery.
This allows theconsumer to browse a massive e-catalog of products across multiple categories,obtain amazing discounts, and conveniently pay using a range of electronicpayment methods.
At the moment, Kirana Stores arestill a strong force to reckon with
Indian consumershave a strong preference towards buying from the neighbourhood store. Themajority of sales generated by online platforms come from the selling ofelectronics. But in large cities, people still prefer to purchase itemsin-person. The primary reasons for worry are product damage, brand warranty,and delivery delay.
The expirationdate is equally crucial in the case of edibles. You can quickly get rid of anybroken or expired products at your neighbourhood store/Kirana stores. There is more trust and comfort in one's regularplace of business, as opposed to dealing with unknown people who may be workingat a supermarket or an online customer service system on an online marketplace.
