The Digital Evolution of Kirana Stores
Opportunities always come along with any crisis. The two may go hand in hand, thus one must seize the moment to accomplish something new. As a result of the Covid-19 epidemic striking, our lifestyles and social systems were impacted as well as forced to be restructured in order to secure access to the vital goods and resources we needed during the lockdown, social distance, and self-quarantine. The Indian customer has quickly shifted gears, opting for hyperlocal delivery services to meet their needs. The desire for the hyperlocal model in the grocery market, which has always been considered the most difficult category to break into within the internet commerce bandwagon, demonstrates its adoption in our everyday lives and its transformation into a business reality.
Yet kiranas remain a crucial component of Indian dealing with 90 percent of the consumption transactions of the country, helping to stock up on necessities for the nation’s 1.3 billion in April and May, a catastrophic epidemic of coronaviruses. As well as the neighbourhood stores are proving to be critical partners for hyperlocal stores, and other digital platforms competing to conquer India’s massive $1 trillion retail sector.
When it comes to running their businesses, shopkeepers no longer need anything more than a calculator and a phone. Instead, they use applications provided by e-commerce giants to restock stock, manage inventory, and provide customer service.
The shift became apparent when Orderhood made its presence known, which is a digital platform, more precisely an android application, that connects users to neighbourhood local stores, or Kirana shops, for the purpose of purchasing vital household supplies.
The app itself is enough for everyday purchases. It provides you with the names of nearby shops as well as the goods you’re looking for. You can simply figure out how much each store is charging for the same goods once you have the product in hand and the price listed alongside it. This is an excellent idea to purchase the thing from the shop at lower prices. Instead, you can buy things from your favourite local shops, kirana shops, and have them delivered to your home.
Not all courtships have been harmonious for the e-commerce behemoths and the kirana stores. While brick-and-mortar and online retailers have always been apprehensive of Amazon and Walmart, many believe the e-commerce behemoths endanger the lives of independent small business owners. Not long ago, in April, an organisation of small merchants across India filed a complaint against two large Indian retailers for alleged unfair trading practises.
It’s conceivable that the larger e-commerce giants would make special deals and discounts as contrasted to the local kirana stores, but it’s unlikely that small businesses will have the ability to offer these kinds of offers or to establish their own apps to take orders online. They rely heavily on online marketplaces such as Amazon and Flipkart, which take away the majority of their income. Secondly, it is possible that things will be sold at a greater price than the going market rate. Orderhood focuses solely on Kiranas and neighbourhood stores, ensuring that they do not have to pay commissions or lose money as a result of selling their products online. Orderhood helps merchants dwelling in your neighbourhood by granting them great opportunities. Not only does this help the community’s unorganised sector flourish, but customers also benefit because of Amazon and Flipkart.
eCommerce is helping consumers in India buy goods from online retailers, including Amazon, Flipkart, and enterprises with large interests in neighbouring regions such as local shops and kirana stores. Those with the largest unorganised sectors have found themselves at a dead end until the coronavirus arrives, wrecking everything in its path. The stratum of state-wide lockdown has touched many families and individuals, while eCommerce has begun to thrive.
Unfortunately, long-established businesses in the neighbourhood are gradually closing their doors or incurring financial difficulties. eCommerce offers easy access, quick refunds, and a wide range of items and services. Orderhood takes the initiative to ensure that the kirana business does not come to a grinding halt. Nonetheless, the majority of the Indian community places a high premium on Kirana shops for everything from electronics to groceries.
Kirana Stores in densely populated areas are also growing in response to the need to cater to urban customers who purchase supplies in smaller quantities on a daily basis rather than in bulk on a weekly basis as is customary in rural areas.