Hola people. I am rounding up my favourite three online grocers from Mumbai. First hand experience, almost a year or ordering regularly and I think it's safe to tell you which ones are the best online grocery shops in Mumbai. At least in the year 2013.
Best Online Grocer 1: Local Banya
Pros
I have been buying from these guys for over two years now and I am mighty pleased. Other than that:
- Prompt deliveries
- Have 9/10 times, they have sent everything I have ordered.
- Smooth and quick customer service
- Fresh, beautiful produce
- Prompt responses on social media: Facebook & Twitter
- They have a pretty neat blog too!
- Offers every Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays.
- They have a Banya bank, which lets you collect loyalty points and redeem it against your full bill.
- Minimum order value is 500 bucks and free shipping on all orders - totally doable.
- I have the option of ebill and no plastic bags - if I want plastic bags, I pay 7 bucks. Eco conscious, big tick.
Cons
- They still won't accept Maestro cards :( *sigh* So I am stuck with COD here. Or CC.
- I wish they had a larger inventory of exotic fruit, veggies and more brand choices across categories. But I make do, so it's okay so far.
Best Online Grocer 2: Eemli.com
Pros:
These guys just have fruits, vegetables, some world foods, limited organic produce (not fresh, packaged) and some dry fruits.
- They have some beautiful produce, some great exotics.
- Their stuff is always really fresh - which means, when I get basil, the whole house is fragrant with the herb, the tomatoes are plump and juicy, potatoes aren't bruised. SERIOUSLY awesome.
- They have exotic fruits and vegetables of all kinds, even different varieties of mushrooms!
- Their minimum order value is 300 bucks for free shipping. Orders below that are charged a 60 buck shipping fee. Doable!
Cons:
- Nothing but COD.
- Some of the stuff is way too expensive if I sit and compare it against Hypercity or Foodhall.
- Some of the portion sizes are totally off too - sometimes, I get the impression that they also target restaurants. Why else would I want to buy a minimum of a kilo of enoki mushrooms for 1.3k bucks? *sigh*
- The delivery boy NEVER has change - I mean, he has gone to a nearby shop to get me change once when I insisted but told me i should have exact change. Maha challenging to do this, I feel.
- I don't have the option for ebills or to refuse plastic bags. But if I insist, the boy does take it back, bless his soul.
Best Online Grocer 3: Big Basket
These guys are big, eh? Operate in Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, they are the huge, big giant among online grocers.
Pros
- Huge inventory - the sheer range of choice available on their website is overwhelming - you will have a wide array of picks, but that also means you will end up adding a host of things to your cart, stuff you probably don't quite need - exactly what happens when you go to a sprawling supermarket.
- You get a welcome message & call when you order the first time! Yay! I like.
- Very neat follow up system from the time you order until the time you get delivery.
- All sorts of payments accepted, and that includes my Maestro, yeehaw!
- They have some desi veggies that you don't get anywhere online! Like banana stem, banana flower, which are a staple in a Tamil & Bong household! They also have Idhayam Til Oil, without which, I'd pass out and die. Maybe. I think.
- Minimum order value of 1000 bucks for free shipping or 25 bucks - this I can do I feel.
- Widest range of meats online, for those of you who care.
Cons
- In case of non delivery, refund money isn't paid back in cash if you have already paid, it gets credited to your account so you can shop against it. This pisses me off slightly - I want the option to get a refund!
- Their veggies are not half as fresh as one would expect - I have received wilted greens often, brown & slimy mushrooms (yuck) and once, of my total order of 15 products, I got just 8. Grrrr.
- Their eggs always come cracked - coz they are not cushioned inside a papier mache carton, they use plastic cartons. Big fail. :(
- They have some ridiculous discounts - 1% - like, seriously? A beggar would scoff at that. And they sent me a 5% off coupon on a minimum bill of 1000. Umm, no, thanks. And no regular offers - I am Indian, I love deals.
- No ebills :(
- No loyalty system.
Best Online Grocer 1: Local Banya
Pros
I have been buying from these guys for over two years now and I am mighty pleased. Other than that:
- Prompt deliveries
- Have 9/10 times, they have sent everything I have ordered.
- Smooth and quick customer service
- Fresh, beautiful produce
- Prompt responses on social media: Facebook & Twitter
- They have a pretty neat blog too!
- Offers every Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays.
- They have a Banya bank, which lets you collect loyalty points and redeem it against your full bill.
- Minimum order value is 500 bucks and free shipping on all orders - totally doable.
- I have the option of ebill and no plastic bags - if I want plastic bags, I pay 7 bucks. Eco conscious, big tick.
Cons
- They still won't accept Maestro cards :( *sigh* So I am stuck with COD here. Or CC.
- I wish they had a larger inventory of exotic fruit, veggies and more brand choices across categories. But I make do, so it's okay so far.
Best Online Grocer 2: Eemli.com
Pros:
These guys just have fruits, vegetables, some world foods, limited organic produce (not fresh, packaged) and some dry fruits.
- They have some beautiful produce, some great exotics.
- Their stuff is always really fresh - which means, when I get basil, the whole house is fragrant with the herb, the tomatoes are plump and juicy, potatoes aren't bruised. SERIOUSLY awesome.
- They have exotic fruits and vegetables of all kinds, even different varieties of mushrooms!
- Their minimum order value is 300 bucks for free shipping. Orders below that are charged a 60 buck shipping fee. Doable!
Cons:
- Nothing but COD.
- Some of the stuff is way too expensive if I sit and compare it against Hypercity or Foodhall.
- Some of the portion sizes are totally off too - sometimes, I get the impression that they also target restaurants. Why else would I want to buy a minimum of a kilo of enoki mushrooms for 1.3k bucks? *sigh*
- The delivery boy NEVER has change - I mean, he has gone to a nearby shop to get me change once when I insisted but told me i should have exact change. Maha challenging to do this, I feel.
- I don't have the option for ebills or to refuse plastic bags. But if I insist, the boy does take it back, bless his soul.
Best Online Grocer 3: Big Basket
These guys are big, eh? Operate in Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, they are the huge, big giant among online grocers.
Pros
- Huge inventory - the sheer range of choice available on their website is overwhelming - you will have a wide array of picks, but that also means you will end up adding a host of things to your cart, stuff you probably don't quite need - exactly what happens when you go to a sprawling supermarket.
- You get a welcome message & call when you order the first time! Yay! I like.
- Very neat follow up system from the time you order until the time you get delivery.
- All sorts of payments accepted, and that includes my Maestro, yeehaw!
- They have some desi veggies that you don't get anywhere online! Like banana stem, banana flower, which are a staple in a Tamil & Bong household! They also have Idhayam Til Oil, without which, I'd pass out and die. Maybe. I think.
- Minimum order value of 1000 bucks for free shipping or 25 bucks - this I can do I feel.
- Widest range of meats online, for those of you who care.
Cons
- In case of non delivery, refund money isn't paid back in cash if you have already paid, it gets credited to your account so you can shop against it. This pisses me off slightly - I want the option to get a refund!
- Their veggies are not half as fresh as one would expect - I have received wilted greens often, brown & slimy mushrooms (yuck) and once, of my total order of 15 products, I got just 8. Grrrr.
- Their eggs always come cracked - coz they are not cushioned inside a papier mache carton, they use plastic cartons. Big fail. :(
- They have some ridiculous discounts - 1% - like, seriously? A beggar would scoff at that. And they sent me a 5% off coupon on a minimum bill of 1000. Umm, no, thanks. And no regular offers - I am Indian, I love deals.
- No ebills :(
- No loyalty system.
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