KIRANA STORE OWNER Suresh Kumar's phone won't stop ringing as he mans his shop in Santacruz, Mumbai. "I've increased my home delivery service to customers. I have two extra hands for the purpose.
And I'm hoping to counter these online platforms that claim faster delivery," he says in between calls.
Kumar is among a growing tribe of last-mile retailers looking to leverage their relationships within their catchment areas to cut sales loss to quick commerce players. The online players, who promise to deliver consumer goods within an hour, are gaining ground in cities.
In the suburb of Bandra, for instance, Darshan Patel, who runs a general store selling grocery and food items, says he has set up a WhatsApp group of his loyal customers, sending them regular updates on new products, offers and discounts. Home delivery is free of cost and Patel also puts in that extra effort with his distributor if a customer insists on a new flavour or variant of a product.
"I find that my customer base appreciates this engagement. We waste no time when orders are placed on WhatsApp or phone," he says of his strategy to counter commerce. Patel knows that time is of essence when it comes to tackling this emerging retail segment.
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