BENGALURU: Bengalureans can now buy fresh fruits and vegetables online from HOPCOMS and get them delivered right to their doorstep. This apart, bulk orders by restaurants and for marriages and small functions will entitle a 10 per cent discount, with the consignments sent to the locations.
Through the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) app, the Horticultural Producers’ Cooperative Marketing and Processing Society (HOPCOMS) is trying to crack the online grocery market and has listed 25 stores across the city from where orders can be placed.
Earlier when HOPCOMS tried to get into the online market, a centralised system did not help. But now with a new approach and a decentralised market, a customer can choose a HOPCOM outlet in their location and place the order.
In May, HOPCOMS made a profit of Rs 62,791 for 405 orders. As the idea of availing fresh fruits and vegetables at subsidised rates got popular, the profits stood at Rs 1,02,914 in June.
“We are operating 25 HOPCOMS on a pilot basis and if successful, we will introduce new products in the market,” Umesh Mirji, Managing Director, HOPCOMS, told The New Indian Express. He added that the cooperative society has partnered with a technology partner -- Innobits -- for the ONDC app to regularly update the cataloguing and price changes.
With more than 7,500 farmers part of the cooperative, Mirji said, “We want the customer base of HOPCOMS to grow. Since younger generations are tech savvy, online deliveries through the ONDC app can help us get more consumers.”
Dheeraj Kumar from ONDC said, “Having HOPCOMS on the ONDC market will change the way the online grocery stores work. This same model can be replicated in other districts and cities, too, giving customers access to subsidised rates.”
Currently, the platform charges a shipping fee of at least Rs 50, which goes to the delivery agents. Kumar added, “ONDC is a great platform for government and small-scale players where visibility is not just through a single platform, but from multiple ones such as PayTm, Mystore and Magicpin. In future, HOPCOMS could start delivering produce on their own, creating new opportunities,” he added.
Consumers can place an order from HOPCOMS by scanning the QR Code or logging onto: https://www.ondc.org/ondc-buyer-apps/