Online grocery store? I never gave it a thought till I could find it as an option for me; rather the television commercial and my hyper-active routine told me so. Wow! It dawned upon me, how connected is the online shopping world to our lives and totally accepted the fact that the online shopping industry is flourishing and expanding at a pace beyond compare.

Moreover, it is cost-effective for a budding entrepreneur? It’s environmental friendly and reduces substantial investment in building infrastructure. Now that’s a valid point!

Technology is here to rescue us; few start-ups have come up with this concept of delivering groceries at your doorstep with just a click. An extensive potential customer base, improved penetration of internet, and growing popularity of online payment increases the prospects for online selling of groceries. Godrej Nature’s Basket, Bigbasket, PepperTap, Grofers are few of the online e-tailing grocers. Though at present they offer services in major metros and urban centres, but have good future prospects.

We spend a consistent portion of our household income on groceries; this creates immense opportunities for retailers or new ventures to start their e-stores. However, the question prevails, is every venture successful? If no why…if yes…how?

What it takes to make these applications successful? Are there any golden rules? Let’s consider that these could be some of them.

Well, online grocery is an emerging industry domain and rules are still evolving.  The basic features which can guide us through the development process are:

• User friendly website/mobile app: The visitors should be able to comfortably browse through the website and select the required items. The relevant product details should be displayed along with the product images. A variety of brands can be included to cater the brand conscious customers.
•  Compatibility across OS/Browsers: The web application should have responsive user interface running across different operating systems & browsers so that users can surf through easily.
•  Proper categorization of items: The product items are to be segregated according to specific categories. This helps in customer convenience and saves time also. The combo- offers and discounts can be displayed to invoke customer interest.
• Hassle free shopping experience: The application ought to include auto search option and save the shopping/browsing history for customers.
• Secure payment gateway: A secure payment gateway is a prerequisite for any shopping website. The different payment options need to be clearly mentioned and all additional charges if any need to be disclosed upfront.
• Timely delivery of goods: The goods have to be delivered in proper condition on suggested timelines. Since the major portion of groceries is perishable in nature, the costs involved in inventory management and wastage are a major concern.

Recommended technology framework for a potential online grocery store

Based on the business requirement of online grocery store, I would recommend Magento which has all the required e-commerce features built-in. Magento enables payment gateway integration, facilitates unlimited product image uploads amongst other features. Moreover, if one plans to launch an exclusive app, Magento also provides much required assistance.Online grocery store? I never gave it a thought till I could find it as an option for me; rather the television commercial and my hyper-active routine told me so. Wow! It dawned upon me, how connected is the online shopping world to our lives and totally accepted the fact that the online shopping industry is flourishing and expanding at a pace beyond compare.
Moreover, it is cost-effective for a budding entrepreneur? It’s environmental friendly and reduces substantial investment in building infrastructure. Now that’s a valid point!
Technology is here to rescue us; few start-ups have come up with this concept of delivering groceries at your doorstep with just a click. An extensive potential customer base, improved penetration of internet, and growing popularity of online payment increases the prospects for online selling of groceries. Godrej Nature’s Basket, Bigbasket, PepperTap, Grofers are few of the online e-tailing grocers. Though at present they offer services in major metros and urban centres, but have good future prospects.
We spend a consistent portion of our household income on groceries; this creates immense opportunities for retailers or new ventures to start their e-stores. However, the question prevails, is every venture successful? If no why…if yes…how?
What it takes to make these applications successful? Are there any golden rules? Let’s consider that these could be some of them.
Well, online grocery is an emerging industry domain and rules are still evolving.  The basic features which can guide us through the development process are:

• User friendly website/mobile app: The visitors should be able to comfortably browse through the website and select the required items. The relevant product details should be displayed along with the product images. A variety of brands can be included to cater the brand conscious customers.
•  Compatibility across OS/Browsers: The web application should have responsive user interface running across different operating systems & browsers so that users can surf through easily.
• Proper categorization of items: The product items are to be segregated according to specific categories. This helps in customer convenience and saves time also. The combo- offers and discounts can be displayed to invoke customer interest.
• Hassle free shopping experience: The application ought to include auto search option and save the shopping/browsing history for customers.
• Secure payment gateway: A secure payment gateway is a prerequisite for any shopping website. The different payment options need to be clearly mentioned and all additional charges if any need to be disclosed upfront.
• Timely delivery of goods: The goods have to be delivered in proper condition on suggested timelines. Since the major portion of groceries is perishable in nature, the costs involved in inventory management and wastage are a major concern.

Recommended technology framework for a potential online grocery store
Based on the business requirement of online grocery store, I would recommend Magento which has all the required e-commerce features built-in. Magento enables payment gateway integration, facilitates unlimited product image uploads amongst other features. Moreover, if one plans to launch an exclusive app, Magento also provides much required assistance.[:]