Grocery Delivery App: A Retailer’s Guide for Online Grocery Services

As it turns out, the market for purchasing groceries online in India is humungous! And not just because of pandemic-imposed lockdowns, but even otherwise. No wonder online grocery delivery apps in India like Big Basket and Grofers (now blinkit) have been thriving for years.

However, with the continuously soaring demand for online grocery delivery, just two apps cannot provide a quick turnaround. Yet, people need groceries, and they need them fast.

Therefore, if you’re planning to start an online grocery service, now is indeed the right time. The market is ripe and ready for more such apps, and you need to act fast.

Additional Read: How to Start a Grocery Delivery Business in India?

How to start an online grocery delivery business in India?

1. Figure out your business model

Do you plan to start a single grocery shop and deliver its products online? Do you have enough investment to open a few small shops and centralise your online delivery with their help? Are you going to be a middleman, accepting grocery orders through an app and then coordinating with stores for timely delivery? 

Whatever may be the case, you must be clear about your business model, as that will help you decide on the amount of funding and the interface of the mobile application you will design at the very start.

2. Hire or outsource a team of app developers

To run an online grocery delivery service successfully, you need a team of techies. This team should ideally include full-stack developers and user experience designers. You can fund their salary by opting for business finance. But, before availing one, check your potential EMIs using a business loan EMI calculator.

With the help of your brief, your tech team can come up with the beta version of your grocery delivery app. This app will also contain a virtual admin dashboard that will help you keep track of orders.

3. Know the basic blueprint your app

Fortunately, a small startup business loan is all you need to develop your app. But, what elements should it contain? Here are the key features your development team must include in the app:

• Short sign up form to create an account.
• Advanced product search
• Delivery timing – not only for time slots but also days, like same-day or overnight delivery
• Payment gateway – a way to collect payments electronically and in cash
• Space for including a coupon code or reward at the time of billing
• Alerts and push notifications for discounts or new arrivals
• Feedback form and a way to quickly reach out to the customer service team through a call or live chat.
• Location tracking for both customers and app managers
• A way to flag out-of-stock items by customers, and set reminders for when they are back in stock
• Order confirmation page on the app, and a way to access old orders placed by a customer.
• An admin interface that helps the app manager track orders, delays, product stock, and finances

To sum up

In addition to these three critical elements, you also need to figure out the finances for your app and other overheads like paying salaries of your delivery valets, etc. A business loan should easily cover all expenses associated with your online grocery delivery business.

For affordable business financing, you can always turn to Tata Capital’s Business Loan App. We offer business finance online at flexible repayment tenures and affordable business loan interest rates.

Partner with us to finance your business today!