When we think of everyday groceries, or buying sanitary or personal care goods or life hacks, the first thing that comes to mind is walking down to the local ‘kirana store’, or nearby ‘local shopping complex’ that houses some of our favorite stores and brands. However, with most of us stuck inside our homes in the wake of the current pandemic and most local stores shut or restricting their opening hours, we have no option but to rely on online platforms to deliver the essentials to us. Add to that long waiting hours and limited availability of items, and things don’t really help much.
Enter Baabae – the hyperlocal delivery partner that promises to get stuff delivered to your doorstep in 30 minutes.
How does Baabae make a difference
Most e-retail platforms in the market today act as aggregators that bring together all local stores. The shopper can check out all the items and add them to the cart. Once the order is confirmed, the list is assigned to the nearest store, and a delivery agent is assigned who is on his way to the store to pick and deliver the order to the customers.
While this system worked perfectly in normal circumstances, the model buckled under pressure as the crisis hit. A sudden surge in demand, inventory problems, and long queues resulted in delayed deliveries and cancellation of orders.
These are the pain points that Baabae seeks to address through its unique delivery model that mobilizes sellers and reduces the order cycle from inception to delivery for everyone.
According to Keshav Rai, the CEO and founder of Baabae App, “The current online-offline retail ecosystem puts a lot of pressure on sellers and brands which result in complexities across for all key participants in the system and the consumer’s life as well.”
New opportunity for local sellers
The current times have put a lot of pressure on the offline retail stores like rent, inventory cost, dwindling orders etc. Along with this, the supply chain issues just make it worse. Baabae is an opportunity for these local sellers to switch to mobile stores ditching the traditional business model, thereby significantly lowering their capital and operational expenditures.
Every morning these sellers pick up the most-ordered items from the Baabae warehouse and the moment you place an order, the seller is on his way to your location to deliver the items because they are most likely already carrying the goods in their mobile van or store. In case, the items ordered are not in the list of inventories, the assigned seller stops by the nearest Baabae warehouse to pick up the stuff and delivers it to you still faster than other players.
Baabae Delivery Process
- All orders are placed through the Baabae app.
- Access and explore all essential and personal item goods through a few taps on the app, which is available for both IOS and Android users.
- Once the order is placed it is assigned to the nearest seller who is mobilized through Baabae’s mapping and logistics system and can be tracked in real-time.
- Baabae warehouses are located at a radius of every 3km. These warehouses are access points for the sellers to fulfill orders faster.
- Baabae is currently operational in North Delhi, Central Delhi, West, and South West Delhi and Gurgaon. South Delhi, East Delhi and Noida currently in the pipeline.
“It’s interesting to note that India’s e-retail penetration is only 3% of the entire retail market Baabae seeks to increase the e-retail penetration in the country as a source of skill and fulfillment,” adds Rai.
Final Thoughts
In the current times when the entire economy has been severely hit in terms of employment, earnings, supply, and lifestyle, Baabae’s focus on the economy cannot be missed. Their carefully designed platform improves supply, logistics, distribution, and sales. It’s a saving grace for small business owners since they can forgo the cost of running a brick and mortor shop, while at the same time ensure the successful delivery of essential goods to the consumers quickly. With its centralized, stable, and transparent supply chain, Baabae App is all set to take the e-retail sector by storm.
