How tech start-ups, FMCG majors are helping kirana stores go digital

With consumers preferring to shop online in the COVID era, some forward-looking Kirana stores (1-2 million of the 15 million stores) are eager to have an online presence so that they don't lose customers to online grocers. If you happen to search online for a packet of Maggi or Saffola oil, you are likely to see the website of your neighbourhood grocer in search results with a catalogue as professional as that of an established marketplace.

Here are some FMCG and technology start-ups which are providing digital solutions to Kirana shops

Story: Ajita Shashidhar

Hindustan Unilever Limited

The consumer goods giant, HUL (Hindustan Unilever Limited), has been encouraging kirana stores to order inventory online via Suvidha app. Its Apna Store initiative helps kiranas create their own online store.

Reliance Retail

Reliance Retail has also been encouraging kiranas to put inventory orders online through its PoS device. It also helps them manage inventory and billing. It wants to get over five-million kirana retailers into its fold.
Its recently launched JioMart has already rolled out pilots in 200 cities. it is claiming to be servicing over 2,50,000 orders a day. Reliance Retail, with JioMart grocery model, seems to have successfully partnered with kirana stores.

Near.Store

The effort has been made by some of the little-known startups which have encouraged Kirana retailers of ordering inventory online. One such example we have is Near. Store. Ashish Kumar, CEO, and Co-Founder, Near.Store, says his company got over 80 calls from Kirana store owners in a couple of hours of posting an ad on Instagram. It is also giving store owners a dongle at a monthly rental of Rs 300 which they have to plug into their billing machines. "Our dongle uploads all the products they sell to their website."

Snapbizz

Prem Kumar, Founder, and CEO of SnapBizz, says there has been an exponential increase in the digital appetite of Kirana stores after the lockdown. The 8,000-merchant strong SnapBizz has onboarded an additional 1,800 merchants now. The sales have gone up by 40-50 per cent in the last two months. In this app, the merchant has to download an id, and an automatic link goes to his customers. When the customer clicks on the link, the app is downloaded on her phone, and she/ he can place an order, set delivery time, and pay through the app or opt for cash on delivery.

Khatabook

Khatabook is digitising shopkeepers' accounts registers. From recording day-to-day cash dealings to keeping track of credit dues, Ravish Naresh, Co-Founder and CEO of Khatabook, says his venture can reduce a shopkeeper's cash problems by almost half.

Flipkart

Flipkart, which has been working with kirana retailers since 2019, has plans to enter into B2B e-commerce in kirana store segment. It has recently acquired Walmart India and also announced the launch of Flipkart Wholesale. Now all the Walmart's best prices store in India will work under Flipkart.

Amazon

Ecommerce giant Amazon India, in early days of nationwide lockdown, invested over Rs 10 crore to strengthen its pilot 'Local Shop on Amazon' programme that added over 5,000 local shops and retailers into its platform from more than 100 cities. According to the online retailer, its pilot programme--Local Shop on Amazon--will give customers access to a greater selection and faster deliveries from local shops. Besides, it would also help shopkeepers expand beyond their usual area.

StoreSe

StoreSe is working on a model that enables kirana stores to update their inventory on different platforms, including their own, through WhatsApp. "They chat with our inventory pods and keep updating their inventory," says Abhinav Pathak, CEO and Co-Founder, Store Se.

Metro Cash and Carry

Metro rolled out its digital app on April 11 and has seen a five-six times increase in online orders from kiranas since the lockdown. this start-up had kirana stores download their app and place orders. They also offered them with a lucrative incentive of 1-1.5 per cent of the value if they ordered inventory on the app.