You have just added the bag of rice, being the last item on your month’s grocery list, to your shopping cart and then you head towards the checkout.
It has been a long tiring day but you didn’t mind doing the entire shopping yourself. Unlike your previous grocery ventures, this has been quite relaxing and fun as you sit before the screen on your couch.
This time you didn’t have to stand in long, seemingly never-ending queue as you checkout in a couple of minutes with a few clicks on your mobile phone.
This is the modern age of online grocery shopping.
If this were to be imagined a decade ago, it might have seemed a fantasy to many people.
However, now every 4 out of 10 people can relate to this experience as they have been exposed to the wonders of online grocery shopping.
Pakistan has evolved itself in terms of e-commerce.
The rapid growth of 3G and 4G technology has opened new horizons for e-commerce. Few years ago, online shopping became quite a trend in Pakistan however there has been a particular inclination towards grocery shopping through the internet.
Online shopping websites serve as a platform where the consumer can avail local as well as imported items at reasonable rates.
The wide range of choices has undoubtedly lead to better decision-making. Many people now are opening up to the idea of grocery shopping from the comfort of their homes and there is a range of reasons contributing to it.
Today, people abide by the saying, ‘Time is money’.
Struggling amongst the crowd with a trolley, avoiding peak hours and standing in long queues can be strenuous and people with long office hours find it very convenient to shop a myriad of things at a few clicks.
In many desi households, the women are in charge of the groceries but now many of them are career-orientated and simply shop online from their offices.
Perhaps the most convenient aspect is that shopping online doesn’t have time restrictions. You can easily place an order in the middle of the night.
Just like many supermarkets, there are now a variety of websites selling groceries online.
Another perk of online shopping is it helps in budgeting, contrary to the generally accepted belief of higher rates on online portals. When you have a range of websites, you can compare prices of items and purchase the one most feasible. Not just that, you don’t have to pull out your cars, thus saving gas and petrol bills too. You will also have an online invoice recorded on your gadget which would help keep you a track of your expenses.
Many of our society’s middle class families have bikes has their only mode of transport. Online shopping satisfies such families as well who would be unable to carry heaps of shoppers on their motor bikes. Instead of balancing families on their way to the departmental stores, you have groceries right at your doorstep.
The online world has always been a mysterious portals open to frauds and piracy. Many people claim to think twice buying products online which they would grab instantly standing in a supermarket aisle. But now public reviews below each product give a hands-on account on their experience with the product, guiding customers.
Breadwinners who are constantly travelling can get groceries delivered at their homes as they pay from one of the many online payment methods.
Pakistan’s e-commerce sales are projected to cross the one billion dollars mark by 2020 as compared to $622 million recorded in 2017.
This trend is only expected to rise in Pakistan as people realize the importance of convenience and time over traditional shopping.
