Fruits, veggies go digital
Fruits, veggies go digital A number of online stores that home deliver pre-cut and packed fruits and vegetables are a hit with working professionals Shiba Kurian Deccan Chronicle A growing number of online sites offering fresh, cut and neatly packed vegetables and fruits at the doorstep have changed the shopping behaviour of Chennaiites. Sites such as ibuyfresh.com, Farmfresh Handpicked Vegetables, Local Fresh, Chennai Basket and iSupermarket offer everything from onions and chow chow to apples and kiwi at a price almost as same as the retail store. All one needs to do is select the required items and the quantity and pay online, or even opt for cash on delivery, just like ordering an outfit or a gadget online. And voila! Your items are delivered at your doorstep, the very same day or within 24 hours. For many, especially for the working lot, this is a welcome concept. “Undoubtedly, it is a matter of convenience for the working professionals, who are hard pressed for time. You don’t have to spend weekends at the grocery store. Moreover, customising your fruits and vegetables, making them ready to cook and consume is something I find very interesting. They peel and cut the fruits and vegetables, even onions, in the shape and size you want,” points out Maaria Kulsum Tanveer, an entrepreneur. Chethna Sai Krishna, a housewife, decided to test the waters before moving away from the conventional way of handpicking vegetables from a store. “I was initially skeptical of ordering my fruits and vegetables based on the photographs put up on the online sites. Besides, how would I know if my fruit is overripe? Nevertheless, I ordered a few items for trial I was amazed to find that all the vegetables and fruits were delivered fresh. The coriander leaves, especially, looked hand-picked, with its roots chopped off and ready to be used,” she says. While freshness of the fruits or vegetables has been a major concern for many first-timers, Senthil Natarajan, CEO of ibuyfresh, says, “The fruits and vegetables at a brick and mortar store are subjected to constant handling by the customers, which probably renders these items unusable later. But the vegetables and
fruits on digital platforms are fresh from the farm. We deliver while the produce is still fresh.” Agreeing with this, Vivek Sunder, CEO of FarmFresh Handpicked Vegetables, says, “We don’t stock any perishable items, as we aim at delivering fresh from the harvest. And depending on the demand and supply, the prices may vary, as is the case with any other retail store. Also, we try to cover almost all parts of the city, and thus don’t include any delivery charges.” N Aishwarya, a housewife, however, points out a few setbacks of e-vegetables. “Convenience and prices apart, you don’t have the luxury of touch-and-feel as well as to choose your vegetable in online shopping,” she says, adding, “Once, I ordered a white cabbage but was delivered the red cabbage instead, which I could not use. So I feel online vegetable shopping has its own set of disadvantages as well.”
fruits on digital platforms are fresh from the farm. We deliver while the produce is still fresh.” Agreeing with this, Vivek Sunder, CEO of FarmFresh Handpicked Vegetables, says, “We don’t stock any perishable items, as we aim at delivering fresh from the harvest. And depending on the demand and supply, the prices may vary, as is the case with any other retail store. Also, we try to cover almost all parts of the city, and thus don’t include any delivery charges.” N Aishwarya, a housewife, however, points out a few setbacks of e-vegetables. “Convenience and prices apart, you don’t have the luxury of touch-and-feel as well as to choose your vegetable in online shopping,” she says, adding, “Once, I ordered a white cabbage but was delivered the red cabbage instead, which I could not use. So I feel online vegetable shopping has its own set of disadvantages as well.”
