With food delivery orders coming to almost a grinding halt amidst the coronavirus lockdown, Zomato has launched its grocery delivery service in partnership with Grofers and BigBasket. Called Zomato Market, the hyperlocal grocery delivery service is being launched first in Delhi, Punjab and Kerala before possibly expanding to more locations around the country. Beebom can confirm that it is already live in Delhi and, is available for at least one of our colleagues.
Zomato is eventually expected to offer both groceries and fresh produce as part of the service, but for the moment, it seems to be restricted to rice, flour, lentils and other daily essentials. That being the case, it will be interesting to see if the company will add veggies, dairy and poultry to the list going forward. Either way, Zomato says that the deliveries will be ‘contactless’ in line with social distancing guidelines laid down by the World Health Organization, which is certainly a welcome step.
Reports about Zomato’s planned foray into the grocery delivery sector first surfaced last week. According to the report, both Zomato and Swiggy are planning to focus on groceries as part of their diversification strategies during the coronavirus lockdown following a precipitous fall in food orders. Meanwhile, the demand for groceries and household items went through the roof over the past few weeks, thanks to panic buying across the country.
Meanwhile, Zomato’s rival, Swiggy, has also been ramping-up its service in the online grocery delivery business. The company already has a small presence in the segment, but is now reportedly looking to expand its operations to grab a larger chunk of that pie.
