Kirana Stores : Where “Real India” Shops

The retail scene in India is rapidly evolving, with global and domestic consumer and retail behemoths vying tooth and nail to woo customers, who increasingly prefer huge, clean supermarkets over congested local stores and ordering online.

In recent years, India, which has a population of 1.3 billion people, has emerged as a sought-after shopping destination, thanks to an increasing number of young and affluent buyers. According to Invest India, India's investment promotion arm, the sector provides 10% to the country's gross domestic product and employs 8% of the population.

Clothing, footwear, consumables, and electronics are all sold in India's mom-and-pop stores. About three-quarters of India's grocery shopping occurs in small- and mid-sized mom-and-pop shops like Kirana stores, according to study.

Store owners often have a loyal and long-term customer base in their neighbourhood, with home delivery and phone orders being commonplace.

Hundreds of household products are crowded into such establishments' wall-to-wall glass or wood shelves. Many stores are so small and claustrophobic that consumers never step foot inside; instead, things are handed over to them by store employees who stand behind counters.

Many of these businesses also sell basics such as beans, rice, and flour in bulk or unbranded form, which are popular among the poor. They are usually open from early morning to late at night.

Indian consumers are increasingly flocking to e-commerce for anything from gadgets to groceries, aided by online discounts and the expansion of speedy delivery services across the country.

Many small businesses struggle to make an effect on the internet. Discounts and growth can be found online. In India, startups like BigBasket and Orderhood are helping people find the correct items and services immediately from their mobile devices.

Consumer spending in Kirana stores jumped by 40% in March. Meanwhile, consumer goods corporations stepped up their efforts in this retail space, flocking to Kirana shops because of their massive reach and hyper-local nature.

These days, huge online commerce companies, who have also established fulfilment centres, control the everyday commerce market. These enterprises frequently purchase goods and services from local stores and resale them under their own brand. This increases the cost of goods yet provides more consumer convenience. Local Kirana shops, on the other hand, were left behind because they couldn't offer such convenient internet platforms and delivery services. Consumers still prefer to purchase at local stores with a human face they can trust over a faceless ecommerce gateway in many circumstances.

Orderhood is a digital ordering platform that does not include fulfilment. The fulfilment of orders will be handled by the stores themselves. Orderhood is a service that connects customers with local shops and delivers a beautiful, user-friendly e-commerce interface to help them manage their everyday needs.

Orderhood is designed to take advantage of the fact that they already purchase at local stores and hence are familiar with what they sell. Similarly, store owners are familiar with their local customer base and demand. Even if a product isn't in stock, the interactive chat system and workflow can assist you change your order for fulfilment.

Those apps don't have any order management features. They mostly assist you with inventory management. Bikayi, for example, encourages you to place orders over WhatsApp. What's the point of using a bunch of apps when you can do it all in one?

The team would like to thank you for downloading this great app. Our mission is to make everyday commerce in the neighbourhood simple and convenient for both customers and business owners. Here, we are going to attempt to address the issues that most concern you.