But I have a party pooper which takes away half a day of either my Saturday or Sunday. And it is: GROCERY SHOPPING. I declare with my hand on the Bhagvad Gita, I love shopping, any kind...even vegetables! It gives me a feel good factor. How pathetic is that?! You will say. But I cannot help being myself.
But lately I haven't been particularly enjoying my trip to the grocery mall. For one, I need to do a lot of things. I have to drive, park, sometimes tag along the kids, stand in the queue to pay while the air conditioning is but obvious switched off, see men coming out of their Honda City in boxer shorts (Jaws dropping big time and mouthing YUCKKKK). I am gonna stop here. It is pretty understood that there are issues. The last thing I want is issues on a weekend.
I was cribbing about it to my friend, and she suggested (God bless you) BigBasket. An online grocery shopping portal, which sells and home delivers every grocery requirement of your home. I have to mention here, if I love shopping, I super love online shopping. It is convenient, less time consuming, does not need a parking charge and I don't have to stand in a queue to make the payment.
About my experience:
Pros:
1. I have shopped twice till now. And both the times, I could get whatever I needed, except for salted butter which was out of stock and mushrooms which they do not stock yet.
2. Every fruit and vegetable was packed hygienically in plastic zipped pouches.
3. They have offers running at all times and if I compare the prices with the discounted priced grocery mall I usually visit, I felt I was not shelling out more. I did find rice costlier but again, I am saving on petrol, parking, out of the list purchases, snacks, sugarcane juice and time.
4. They have a good variety of stock of non veg too. I tried chicken and found it not bad at all.
5. I am not a big fan of the individual plastic wrapping of veggies in the grocery malls, in order to be billed. I think it is an environmental waste. I am glad that big basket encourages recycling. They give you an option to return back all the zipped pouches and plastic trays used to pack the perishable items.
6. Home delivery: It is a huge factor for me. They give you a choice of time slots and they have delivered on time both the times.
7. They have a customer care number which helps you with the issues, queries and complaints if any.
Cons:
Nothing as yet. Maybe a remark: I would prefer to buy fish from my local shop, coz I feel fish has to be super fresh always and I like to see what I pick up.
At the moment, they are operating in Bangalore, Mumbai (including Navi Mumbai and Thane) and Hyderabad.
Now, the next thing in my list is to think what can I do with all the time I save while I am not in a grocery mall.
:)