Best Grocery Delivery Options During Coronavirus Pandemic

Keshav Rai
Baabae
Published in
4 min readJul 25, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic brought the entire world to a standstill. People were told to stay indoors to contain the spread and the markets wore a deserted look as all shops were shut. However, as government eased the restrictions, retailers have slowly reopened their shutters. But with Covid-19 cases continuously rising, the question remains, is it really safe to go out there? The simple answer is it is not. Regardless, people still need groceries. It is something you simply can’t do without. From eggs and milk to fresh vegetables, you need to keep your pantry stocked. The good news is that now you can have everything you need delivered to your doorstep. So, what are the options available?

The Local Kirana Store

Small shops have probably been hit the hardest. They know waiting around for customers to come and shop is no longer an option. They have reach out to the customers. So, the chances are local kirana shop will probably agree to deliver the groceries to your home. All you need to do is give him a call, list out your order, and he should be able to deliver it sometime during the day.

However, the process can be a bit slow. Since a shop is usually manned by only 1–2 people, you may not be able to get through to their phone on the first try. Also, being a local shop, their stocks may be limited and you will probably get only the staples. And then, there’s the wait for delivery. Usually, when delivery person leaves the shops with your order, the shopkeepers have to manage the shop all on their own. So, your order is unlikely to dispatched immediately. The shop owner will probably wait for a few orders from your building and then send all the orders together.

Non-Specialist E-commerce Stores

By now, you probably would have explored every e-commerce platform there is. Some seem to offer everything under the sun — they’re like malls. You can buy clothes as well as groceries from the same platform. Sounds convenient, but if you’ve heard the adage — ‘jack of all trades and master of none,’ you’ll know that these platforms don’t understand the nuances of groceries, and your shopping experience may be poorer than your imagined.

For example, they may stock only premium brands and certain types of food. You can’t really eat avocadoes all day, you need the potatoes and onions too. Also, they may not be able to different types inventory properly. For example, if butter is not stored in a cool temperature, it’ll start melting. These websites usually have long delivery lead times. If you place an order today, your rice will reach you next week! That means you always have to plan in advance.

Specialist Grocery E-commerce Store

Now, if you want a smooth shopping experience and the best groceries, this option is for you. Baabae is a leading grocery e-commerce platform. Here, you can find everything you need — bread, milk and eggs, the gourmet cheeses and exotic vegetables, cleaning supplies for your home and lots more. Just add all your grocery needs to the cart and have it shipped to you in a single order.

Baabae has multiple warehouses in the city. Each serve houses within a 2km radius. What does this mean for you — when you place an order, the delivery agent does not have to travel the length of the city. He simply picks up your order from the nearest warehouse and delivers it to your doorstep. Thus, delivery timelines are shorter. You can also set a delivery slot that matches your schedule and have your groceries delivered in time when you start cooking.

Baabae has another important feature. Let’s say you want to bake a cake. You called your local kirana store and asked for the flour and eggs. The delivery boy is on his way to your home, but you suddenly realize you don’t have any sugar. Now, if you called the kirana shop, he would probably send it much later. But, there are no such problems with Baabae App. You can get the sugar with the rest of your order. Baabae knows that there are certain staples that customers often order. So, when the delivery van leaves the warehouse, along with the customer’s orders, it also carries some staples. So, when you suddenly realize that you need sugar too, all the delivery agent needs to do is take that item of the staples box and add it to your order. This way, you get everything you need together, and you can bake your cake without any worries.

With the number of Covid-19 cases rising every day, the responsibility to protect your loved ones from the virus falls on you. So, avoid stepping out as much as possible. Enjoy your time at home and for all your grocery needs, turn to Baabae.

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Keshav Rai
Baabae
Editor for

Keshav Rai is the Co-Founder of Baabae — An Edukaan solution to daily essentials.