BigBasket CEO explains why is it difficult to get slots for grocery delivery

• Twitter was flooded with complaints about BigBasket, Grofers and other delivery apps about delayed deliveries, lack of available slots and delayed refunds.
• BigBasket CEO Hari Menon took to Twitter to explain why finding slots on the app is difficult right now.
• All refunds will also be processed in the next 2-3 days, he said.

With the coronavirus lockdown, Indians are stuck inside their homes and are looking to get essentials delivered at their doorstep through ‘contactless delivery’. But as they turn to apps like BigBasket, there is growing frustration as delivery slots are unavailable.

“I keep waiting for the slot to be available and order within seconds. If you don’t do this, the slot is gone,” said an IT professional in Hyderabad.

Twitter too has been flooded with complaints about BigBasket, Grofers and other delivery apps about delayed deliveries, lack of available slots and delayed refunds.

BigBasket CEO Hari Menon took to Twitter to explain why finding slots on the app is difficult right now. Menon said that they plan for demand three months in advance including setting up of warehouses, procuring racks, picking devices, crates, hiring people, delivery vans etc.



However, BigBasket had one major issue as the demand went through the roof – its workforce returned to their villages right before the lockdown. “That was something we didn't anticipate, and which meant we couldn't pick orders and deliver them in sufficient numbers to satisfy the 3-6 fold increase in demand,” Menon wrote on Twitter.

So, BigBasket thought quickly and turned to look for options and ways to deliver faster and quicker. It partnered with ride hailing app Uber to deliver groceries. The startup also acquired Bengaluru-based milk delivery app DailyNinja for a reported $15-$20 million.

Menon said that they are also hiring. “We've been trying to recruit warehouse staff and delivery executives in all cities. However, recruitment and training do tend to take time; also, a lot of the people who applied for jobs were only willing to join after the lockdown. Fortunately, things have improved now, and should get better in the next few weeks,” he wrote.

The startup worked on multiple product changes and to bring in transparency they also started showing the number of orders per day on the app. They are also working on refunds, while he added that the volumes are very high right now.

“When the lockdown hit and a large chunk of our manpower left for their hometown, we started with delivering 30,000 orders. Today we deliver 2.83 lakh orders and are growing. However, sadly, the expectation is 3-6 times this number,” said Menon.

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Amazon, Flipkart cannot deliver non-essential items like mobile phones, TVs during lockdown