Study Reveals Only 7% of Indian Households Purchase Fruits and Vegetables Online

• ByStartupStory     |    November 24, 2023

A recent study by LocalCircles, a community social media platform, highlights that merely 7% of Indian households opt for purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables online. Despite the presence of online platforms like Big Basket, Blinkit, and Milk Basket offering home delivery of groceries, the majority of Indian households, accounting for 66%, still prefer procuring fresh produce from local stores or weekly markets nearby.

Based on a national survey conducted across 297 districts of India, the study emphasizes the primary concerns influencing this trend. Issues surrounding the quality of produce, high prices, challenges with returns, and complex grievance redressal procedures emerge as the top obstacles encountered while purchasing fresh groceries online.

The findings reveal a significant shift in consumer behavior over the past 10 months, with many individuals transitioning to buying their groceries predominantly from local markets. Sachin Taparia, Founder of 

LocalCircles, noted, “With discounts reducing and the risk of COVID minimal, many consumers are now buying the majority of their fresh supplies from the local market, buying only incidentals or topping up via online grocery apps.”

Taparia highlighted the challenge of returns and refunds for fresh produce, stating, “Returns and refund of fresh produce is another major issue where some of the apps expect a consumer to spend 5-15 minutes to request refund of small quantities of fresh produce, which is just impractical.”

LocalCircles pointed out that the initial value pricing and discounts previously offered by online platforms have diminished, leading to current prices being 1.5-2 times higher than those found in local markets. The survey, garnering over 24,000 responses, took place between September 1 and November 20 this year.

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