BENGALURU: Downloading and managing numerous apps on your phone screen, each for a different brand or service, could get tedious. What if a smartphone user could access all the services through one app? Making it easier for users to access their favourite brands and shops online, a Bengaluru-based startup, GoodBox, has come with up the concept of a Mega App, which can host hundreds of mini apps. A user can access several services online by downloading this single app.
So how does this work? Goodbox app functions as a platform to bring both customers and businessmen together. Beginning from your local grocery store to the frequently visited restaurant, details of each of the businesses are available in a mini app within the Goodbox app.
Providing an analogy, Mayank Bidawatka, co-founder of Goodbox, told Express, “It works somewhat like WhatsApp. We do not create the database of the businesses. Shops can download the app and create a mini app for themselves at a nominal fee. The shopkeepers will then upload details of all the products available with them so that the customer can order products online.”
From a shopkeeper’s point of view, it makes it a lot easier to reach out to customers through this app, said Mayank. While it would cost between Rs 50 lakhs to Rs 1 crore, Goodbox provides the same at a much lower price. A shopkeeper can subscribe to the app at a maximum fee of Rs 10,000 per year. Depending on the package of features they choose, the price could vary within this cap.
With six crores small and medium businesses in India, this app acts as an unshackling device for SMEs to adopt technology and reach out to customers, Mayank added.
Goodbox facilitates online booking of products and customers can even ping the shopkeeper over a chat for any queries. Not just this, even a payment gateway is facilitated to accept online payments.
The co-founders of Goodbox came together through their previous online travel assistance portal Redbus. “We began a digital media initiative, enabling digital advertising services in buses. Later we opened it up for travellers to call us if they had any queries. We got a lot of logistic-related questions at the place of destination including suggestions for stay. In the beginning, we used to call hotels and then put the travellers in touch with the hotels. Then we realised there has to be a direct connect between the customers and the business establishments. That is how we drew inspiration to setup Goodbox,” Mayank narrated.
At present, Goodbox has been able to garner the interest of 2.5 lakh users and more than 13,000 businesses and growing. The startup, which is looking to expand their reach to other cities, will also soon introduce live analytics feature where store owners will be able to see how many customers have checked out and accessed their mini app.