A coconut vendor in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru has gone viral on social media after he posted an advertisement challenging the likes of Zepto, BlinkIit and BigBasket. The vendor listed the price of a coconut on the biggest quick commerce apps in the country and contrasted them with the price he was offering. While the apps were selling the coconut between Rs 70 to 80, the vendor said he charged only Rs 55. The post instantly stirred conversations around the price and the convenience of ordering commodities while sitting at home.
“Will quick commerce affect roadside coconut vendors?” read the post with the ad, shared by @peakbengaluru on X (formerly Twitter).
The netizens were quick to point out how these apps were becoming addictive as well as expensive.
“These quick commerce companies prey on your and my time limitations and bill on convenience. Mind you, they’re only going to become more expensive. Ever since I deleted Zomato, and Swiggy my expenses have gone down and I eat less from outside and when I do, I move around and reach out,” said one user, while another added: “Quick commerce sites have always driven the prices up. A coconut shouldn’t cost more than Rs 35 to 40 roadsides.”
Some users also defended the apps for providing a better deal for a fraction of the extra price. “Big basket daily subscription of tender coconut is 58-60/- Delivers at door step. No delivery charge. So no hassle of driving/walking through dusty roads, save on petrol. All in all 5/- extra is absolutely worth it IMO,” said one user.
Will Quick Commerce affect roadside coconut vendors?
?: @nithishr46 found this in @peakbengaluru pic.twitter.com/LfQKpgO2uc
— Peak Bengaluru (@peakbengaluru) November 7, 2024
Also read | Distributors Seek Probe Against Blinkit, Swiggy, Zepto Over “Predatory Pricing”
Convenience economy
While the emergence of a convenience economy through quick commerce apps has made lives easier for users, local shops and vendors have been struggling. In many cases, the quick commerce apps do not provide the services and customer support that the local neighbourhood stores provide.
On the occasion of Dhanteras last month, a customer alleged that he was scammed after he ordered a 1-gram gold coin and a 10-gram silver coin from Malabar Gold and Diamonds through Blinkit but received a 0.5-gram gold coin.
“Got scammed by Blinkit. I ordered one gm gold coin from Blinkit, along with the one gm silver coin. It was all prepaid. I wasn’t there at home to receive the order, so I gave the OTP to my younger brother to get it received. After 20 mins I reached home and saw the wrong item was delivered. I got a 0.5gm Malabar gold coin (rose design). What I ordered was 1 gm Mata Lakshmi gold coin,” Jain wrote.
The post triggered a social media backlash as the app was slammed for its callous handling of the issue.
