How an App is Revolutionising Tens of Thousands of Convenience Stores in India

Kiranas are India's retail industry's backbone, accounting for more than 90% of all sales. Convenience stores, on the other hand, frequently lack suitable digital equipment for inventory management and as a payment option for customers. Orderhood has devised a fresh solution for this problem through its mobile app. The users incur no costs.

In India, there are around 12 million so-called Kirana stores – small convenience stores run by their owners and stocked with everything from soap to baking soda. The problem: Despite the fact that traditional convenience stores collectively represent a significant economic force, due to a lack of economies of scale, each individual entrepreneur operates with limited profit margins. Larger investments are difficult to come by.

The Kirana stores are being impacted by the increasing pressures of digital progress. For example, in the country's major metropolises, currency has long been outdated as a mode of payment. Orderhood complete ordering approach enables the development of customised solutions for specific market needs. The Orderhood, an android application which was established in 2020, provides the solution in this scenario. Orderhood is a user-friendly tool, particularly for Kiranas. This enables retailers to digitize their operations by simply using their existing smartphones.

The Orderhood takes 5 minutes to install and there are no costs associated with installing and using it. Store owners can use QR codes to give their customers access to all common mobile payment methods. They can also keep track of daily, weekly, and monthly sales as well as inventory levels. It provides enterprises with a clear perspective of their sales rather than endless lists on paper. They can also use the app to reorder things that are about to run out.

Orderhood, which gives a complete product cycle for the orders placed through the app as well as the option to interact with the shopkeeper within the app. Through Orderhood - Kirana shops benefit greatly from the ability to order additional merchandise without having to pay for it right away.

With options like digital payment and the home delivery, in kiranas which provides specific guidance, merchandise, and services for owner-managed convenience stores, Orderhood has long been devoted to the digitization of convenience stores in India. With this Smart Kirana initiative, Orderhood has digitised over 1,200 Kirana shops to date.

Does this imply that Kirana shops are no longer viable? In light of recent events, this is not the case. People flocked to local stores for their daily requirements during the national lockdown due to the global epidemic, according to our poll. Small shops, in fact, were better stocked than internet companies, which were dealing with a supply chain disruption. The moral of the narrative is that established formats cannot be eliminated. Instead, it's time for retail industry stakeholders to step up their support and assist Kirana storesin scaling up in a sustainable way.