10 reasons to try online grocery shopping

It's now common to see someone shopping online for books, electronics and music. But given the state of traffic in big cities and the lack of time, online grocery shopping seems to be the next big thing. Karan Bajaj offers some arguments for and against!
Why Buy Online

More variety ­

Like any e-commerce business, online grocery stores also have a larger variety of products available compared to what you find at your local store. Most of the big players claim to have products available from over 1,000 brands. You'll also find that product discovery is easier and you can see all dealsspecial offers in one place. In addition, they typically stock imported brands that are harder to find.

Delivery options ­

Almost all major players in this space offer same day delivery (as long as come conditions are met). Some can offer delivery within a few hours of placing the order. Apart from this, you also have the option to choose a delivery time slot that is suitable to you. The stores work 7 days a week, so you don't have to worry about holidays or working hours.

Easy returns ­

You are at a disadvantage of not being able to check the products before buying online.This, in particular, is a big issue when it comes to perishable items. If you find that the product is defective in any way, there is a `no questions asked' return policy followed by most major services. Simply contact the customer care and they will take care of the return and refund process.

Save time ­

A big advantage, considering today's busy lifestyles. You can shop for groceries anywhere and anyplace (even on a smartphone, on your way back from work). Instead of looking around for products, you can simply search for the particular item in a brand and add that to your cart.Also, checking out is instant -you don't waste time standing in queues. Don't forget, you save time that would otherwise be wasted in travelling to and fro a grocery store.

Deals and offers ­

To attract more customers, online stores keep offering discounts, rewards and loyalty points. Some sites offers daily deals with discounts on specific products whereas some offer bundle packages to entice buyers. Some stores also offers loyalty points on purchases that can be later used as currency for more purchases. Like any e-commerce site, you also get the option to apply discount vouchers coupons for additional savings.

Quick price comparisons ­

In offline shopping, the only way of finding the best price for a product is by visiting multiple shops. Comparing price is a matter of minutes online. With the increasing number of grocery stores, it is easy to compare product prices on various portals and find the lowest price for any product.
Why not buy online

Availability ­ While items might be listed on the portal, it is not necessary that they will be available (even after you've placed an order). All services mention that there is a chance of your item being out of stock.You will be informed about unavailability.You can then choose to refund your money or purchase something else.

Delivery cut-off time­

There is a cut-off time period (Before 12pm on BigBasket.com) to avail of the same day delivery. If you place an order post the cut-off time, you can only get delivery slots on the next day. If you had placed an order to prepare something for the evening, your plans go down the drain.

Quality check ­

For products like vegetables and fruits, most people check quality by smelling, holding them to see if its fresh and avoid anything that is going bad. With online shopping, you cannot do that until the fruits and vegetables have been delivered. If there is anything amiss, then you have to go through a return process.

Limited delivery area ­

There is no online grocery service that works pan India. Each service only caters to a select number of states (which mainly includes larger cities). This will obviously frustrate potential users from the smaller cities.

Try These Services BigBasket .com (WEBSITE, ANDROID & IOS APP) Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai & Delhi Grofers.com (WEBSITE, ANDROID & IOS APP) Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Mumbai & Pune LocalBanya.com (WEBSITE, ANDROID & IOS APP) Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad & Delhi ZopNow.com (WEBSITE, ANDROID, IOS & WINDOWS PHONE APP) Delivers in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad & Gurgaon