A guide to running the best online grocery store in Pakistan

Every business owner or manager want to see profits and sales on a constantly hiking trajectory be it a service dealing in online grocery delivery in Karachi or a small grocery store in any other parts of the country. The pandemic has hit a number of industries really hard, like travel or hospitality for instance, but has certainly changed most of the industries in manifold ways. Grocery businesses have also had to struggle a lot with all sorts of local lockdown challenges as well as the supply chain hitches that are becoming the norm in the industry globally. In such times, the pursuit of keeping the prices lowest to attract a growing consumer base along with offering the best quality becomes a much bigger brain teaser.

It’s all about variety, right?

A cheap grocery store in Karachi, with limited stocks and fewer customers may not need to fuss over the unavailability of certain food items or a particular brand but larger grocery stores and online services thrive on the variety they offer. Customer satisfaction and providing better services is the apex of their organizational philosophy as well their main selling proposition. However, when customers don’t find the particular product that they are loyal towards, or something they really need, the fallout from such a failure can have a massively detrimental impact resulting in not the loss of that particular customer but also in spreading of further negative word of mouth convincing others to follow suit.

Grocery store management requires a comprehensive understanding of several fundamental concepts of efficient retail management in order for any particular store to make its mark. The role can be overbearing given the fact that customer satisfaction has many facets, from competitive prices to the overall look and feel of everything. Running a supermarket chain smoothly, or a single grocery store for that matter, is no easy task. Grocers have been responding to these market demands and more, helping their businesses evolve in a manner that underscores the distinctive points in comparison to others. An abundance of online grocers have surfaced in Pakistan offering fast deliveries and broad product ranges, playing on the convenience of getting groceries delivered to the doorstep while going out remains an arduous endeavor.

Exploring new horizons versus maintaining service levels

While some grocers continue to focus on providing the range of products their primary target market is interested in buying while keeping the prices below their competitors, others still are constantly pivoting around adding new value propositions. Metro for instance has been around in Pakistan for some time now and they added a complete e-commerce experience for customers who prefer digital and want to stick with a brand they trust. Similarly, others have also been working on increasing convenience with the likes Imtiaz offering home deliveries after booking orders from customers online and over phone. Most player do realize that consolidation is chiefly important in the business and in order to survive they cannot offer everything to everyone, which is why they weed out competition by provide something over which only they have a competitive edge.

You’ve got to place them right

Whether you are running an online store or a physical one, placement of the products in accordance with the customers’ needs remains crucial. The idea starts with making things easy for shoppers to get their hands on and ends with the items strategically placed on the checkout screen or counter for impulse buyers. It is also central to provide all the necessary information in a clear and concise manner, from delivery charges to individual product price tags. Customer decisions rely heavily on all such factors and quicker to give it to them the easier it is for them to decide. In case of physical stores or with regards to the customer service online, it is equally important that the staff is extremely helpful, courteous and knowledgeable about customer queries.

Cost cutting is great unless you start are cutting down sales

Most retailers face issues around their operational costs and labor is one huge chunk of the overall costs incurred. A majority of the products is procured from third party manufacturers, so the margins are really low and the labor cost has to be kept down in order for the business to stay profitable. However, we have all had that annoying experience in some grocery stores where either product price tags are missing or we are looking for some other detail regarding the product but our queries fall on deaf ears. The store personnel are either nowhere to be found or too busy doing something else. Such experiences can also result in decreasing sales. Employers must keep a balance in terms of their staff strength so that store conditions and customer service are both well catered for. They also need to provide the necessary training and courses to maintain a service level that is at par with global practices.

All these considerations form customer sentiment and the decision, to buy groceries online in Karachi for any end consumer, is ultimately linked to deliberations around such matters. In order to succeed at the grocery game, one must abide by these rules to stand out from the herd.