Only 7 per cent of Indian households currently utilise ecommerce or grocery apps for purchasing fruits and vegetables online, as revealed in a survey by LocalCircles.
The survey, which garnered over 24,000 responses from household consumers across 297 districts in India, indicated that 61 per cent of respondents were male, while 39 per cent were female.
Among the respondents, 44 per cent hailed from tier 1 districts, 35 per cent from tier 2, and 21 per cent from tier 3.
The majority of respondents, totaling 66 per cent, stated that they procure their fresh groceries, including fruits and vegetables, from local or weekly markets near their homes.
The survey delved further into the concerns of consumers who do opt for online purchases, with 73 per cent of the 11,964 respondents citing the “low quality of produce” as the primary issue.
Other significant concerns included “high prices” (56 per cent), a “difficult returns/grievance redressal process” (51 per cent), “inconsistent stocking/availability” of desired produce (37 per cent), and a “long delivery time taken” (7 per cent).
Only 12 per cent of respondents expressed satisfaction, stating that they did not face significant issues with online purchases.
Sachin Taparia, the Founder of LocalCircles, highlighted the persistent challenges faced by consumers, noting that while discounts and competitive prices had previously overshadowed issues like average product quality and cumbersome return processes, the landscape was evolving.
With diminishing discounts and reduced Covid-19 risks, many consumers are now opting for local markets for their fresh supplies, relying on online grocery apps primarily for incidental or supplementary purchases.
Taparia emphasised the impracticality of some apps expecting consumers to spend 5-15 minutes requesting refunds for small quantities of fresh produce.
