Coronavirus has changed the lives of people, and they are not prepared for times like this. Major establishments have been converted into hospitals. Till now, a proper cure has not been found for the pandemic. It is safe to maintain social distancing. People are worried about the shortage of supplies, so they are stocking up the inventories. Online grocery platforms are providing a helping hand to the customers in these tough times. The package and transportation of the ordered goods take place with proper hygiene procedures. This has led people to trust these platforms for their grocery needs. As people have embraced the online delivery services, the sales in the brick and mortar shops have reduced dramatically.
Prospects of Online grocery delivery platform during the pandemic
About only 3% to 5% were online purchases in the US, but that surged to 10% to 15%, according to research by consulting firm Bain & Company.
Online sales of packaged goods in the US have grown to 56% just for the first week of April.
Other countries such as the UK, South Korea, and China have seen a surge in the online grocery market, too. In South Korea and China, 19% and 14% of grocery spending are online, respectively, according to an analysis by Bain, Kantar, and Forrester.
In the past weeks, more than 51% of shoppers placed an order through on-demand grocery delivery platforms, according to Acosta.
"In the near future, new staff needs to be recruited for the pickup and delivery of orders to cope with the rising demands," Says Jana Davis, Senior director at Acosta.
The federal government considers the online grocery market to be "a critical infrastructure," and it should operate full time on COVID-19 times.
Target and Walmart, the major retail establishments, are now mainly operating through online delivery applications.
Amazon says that they are dealing with unprecedented demand for grocery delivery by hiring new employees for delivering the ordered goods.
Amazon has temporarily asked new Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market delivery and pickup customers to sign up for a waiting list. Customers can use those services once they receive invitations.
The World health organization (WHO) addressed this concern as well, by saying that it is safe to receive packages from locations with reported COVID-19 cases.
"The likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low. The probability of virus transmission through the goods is very minimal”, says WHO.
The grocery order has increased by 124% for Shipt and 218% for Instacart.
The sale for hygienic items like medical sales is up by more than 300%, according to data from Nielsen.
Products which has the increase in demand on the online grocery delivery market
Pantry preparation: It involves stockpiling groceries and household items.
Reactive health management: People are buying marks, gloves, and other protective gear as a preventive measure against coronavirus, buying fruits and vegetables, which are considered as an immune booster.
Inventory management: People are purchasing a month's supply of essentials to pile up their inventories.
Regulatory measures taken by major On-demand grocery delivery app platforms:
With new coronavirus cases reported every day, Online grocery delivery app solutions have switched to contactless delivery in an attempt to ensure zero percent contact.
The Beijing based online delivery platform, "Meituan," is following the social distancing strictly. Delivery agents leave the parcel at the doorstep of the consumers, informing them about the same using automated SMS text messaging and online communication channels.
They use sanitizers and wear protective gear like masks, gloves, etc. The majority of the organization have incorporated the measures specified by expert scientists for the protection of their staff.
The package is prepared without any human contact. So customers need not worry about infection.
These are the following measures to be taken by the users during pandemic times:
Place a basket or box near your doorstep. Take your package once the delivery person has left the premises. Whenever people come in contact with agents, they should maintain 2 meters distance from them.
Wipe the package with sanitizer or wet cloth before opening the box.
The customers are advised to use digital platforms for transactions during COVID-19.
Advanced features included on an Online grocery app development solution due to the pandemic.
Instruction panel: The application should have updates regarding the guidelines that are followed by the people. It should also have the news related to the COVID-19 near their locality and worldwide.
Multilingual support: People across the globe are using the online grocery app. So it will be useful for them if it has content in their native language. Moreover, It will also enhance the business of the app.
Geolocation Tracker: With the help of GPS services, the app should provide the user with the nearest patient information, like distance and the count of affected cases nearby.
Navigator: With the rise in the number of cases, many roads are blocked. The In-app navigator will help delivery agents reach the destination hassle-free.
Self Assessment: Users can take the questionnaire that has questions like When did you last visit abroad? Do you have a cold, cough, or sore throat? Etc. By answering these questions, users can assess themselves.
Users need to grant permission for Bluetooth and GPS services to benefit from these features.
Conclusion:
The Online grocery delivery application is beneficial for users as it is a platform that delivers the essentials to doorsteps. Customers can follow social distancing and stay safe during these challenging times. Real-time tracking allows them to track delivery agents. The app notifies users at each stage of the transaction. Apart from this, the platform also keeps the users updated with the coronavirus news and analytics. It enables users to track nearby patients, so it reduces the fear amongst people. Netizens can benefit from ordering groceries through the grocery delivery app and avoid contact with others. On the other hand, the demand for these delivery apps is growing exponentially, so it is the right time to invest in these. It is also a platform for gaining revenue through business and advertisements. Business owners can invest in the grocery clone applications offered by leading clone app development companies. They take care of the Instacart clone app development process and provide clients with 100% customizable applications. It would be a better option to invest in these ready-made solutions as they are scalable and white-labeled. In addition to that, the cost incurred in investing in these readymade grocery applications is lesser compared to developing apps from scratch.
