To stop the coronavirus from spreading further, the government has taken strict action by announcing lockdown, which has directly affected the daily lives of people. It’s almost a week since we have been stuck in our homes. Since it is the only safety measure relevant for now, let us follow it sincerely and not go out of the home without a major emergency.
In this tough situation where people are facing difficulties finding groceries and other essential products, some of the stores like Bhatbhateni, Salesberry and other online sites like Sastodeal, Kirana, Daraz (with Big Mart), Foodmandu, Thulo have decided to come up and provide service to the people. These online stores will be providing home delivery service during lockdown to promote self-quarantine and reduce the flow of people on the streets.
Here is how Nepali companies are tackling Covid-19.
Special permit
With the permission of the Nepal Government, some online e-commerce companies have received a special permit to operate during coronavirus lockdown. They are making only some essential products and groceries available for home delivery with all the necessary precautions. It means you won’t be able to order non-essential products for delivery.
Only limited e-commerce websites are supplying goods and among them, Bhatbhateni Supermarket took the initiation from 27th March. Bhatbhateni supermarket is one of Nepal’s leading supermarkets with numerous braches at various corners of Nepal. At this time of catastrophe, Bhatbhateni is motivated to reduce the difficulty of buying essential foods and groceries for needy people by taking orders and delivering them to the doorsteps.
Bhatbhateni online delivery
Due to circumstances, Bhatbhateni, the leading shopping chain in Nepal is providing home delivery service only inside the Kathmandu area but they are trying their best to provide service outside the Kathmandu valley too.
So, to place an order within Kathmandu valley, you can simply leave an order at the official Facebook account (Bhatbhateni supermarket) or Instagram account (bhatbhateni_official). You can even contact them on the following numbers: 9801246806, 9801241449, 9801118837.
We suppose it is better to contact them on WhatsApp, Viber with your name, Mobile and address. One of their Facebook posts shows the limit of Rs 5000 per order but we are still not sure if they have changed it.
Please try this on the office hours only, as we know many cannot wait to check if it works. They have started delivering products in Kathmandu, which we can confirm from the videos that they have put on their Facebook page.
Kirana and Sastodeal
Other than the Bhatbhateni store, Kirana and Sastodeal have also obtained government permission to operate during the lockdown. These two are also among the leading online shopping sites in Nepal. As per the conversation, they have also started taking orders online and will deliver products soon.
Precautions and Safety should be their utmost priority. Probability is other online stores may also secure similar permit soon and start operating. It is a slow process so customers are urged to have patience.
Sastodeal mentions that the minimum price of the order should be Rs 1000 from the website. Whereas for Kirana, the minimum order should be of Rs 1500 from both website and their mobile app.
Daraz and Big mart
Daraz, the top online shopping site in Nepal now partners with Big mart to deliver essential groceries to your home. Now they have put their system live to take orders from the day time of March 30, 2020. Daraz says it will take around 2 to 3 days to deliver in the selected areas of Kathmandu valley. You need to visit the Big mart store within the Daraz app to purchase the essential items. We suggest you read Expectations from online shopping in Nepal.
It is known that the delivery will be free upon a minimum purchase of Rs 1500.
Salesberry
Salesberry, one of the popular shopping mart has also started the delivery of groceries from its website. You can visit the website and place your orders. The delivery will be made within Kathmandu valley only. They have the minimum order to be worth Rs 2000 and the delivery charge is Rs 100.
Foodmandu
Foodmandu, the food delivery platform has also set its foot on the groceries with the concept of “Foodmandu Fresh”. As a lot of people are having a hard time getting the food in this lockdown period, they want to fill the gap with their new endeavor. It seems they had conceived the idea of this vertical before but the COVID-19 made them realize their plan in this tough situation.
They take the fresh grocery order every day from 12 pm. As they have some limitations in the capacity, they close the order once it crosses their operational capacity. The minimum order with Foodmandu fresh is Rs 1500 and the delivery be made within 11 am to 8 pm. Some of the items that we could find there are Meat, Dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and bakery products.
Thulo.com
Here is another e-commerce website that has resumed online home delivery for this lockdown period. They are delivering items within the 2km outside of the ring road in Kathmandu valley. Now they are taking paid orders only which can be done from mobile banking apps or Fonepay or eSewa. As they have limited personnel working, they will provide support from Facebook and admin@thulo.com. You can make the online order through their website or mobile app. Here they provide a free online home delivery service even in this lockdown.
Restraints and Precautions
Customers are kindly requested to follow consumer rules. Please shop wisely, and do not focus on stocking shelves with excess goods. You need to check if the individuals delivering goods to your doorstep are wearing masks and gloves or not. It is better to attach the thermal record of the delivery guy to the delivered package so as to assure people. Safety should be the highest priority while delivering products to people’s homes.
We recommend people to receive the goods wearing maks and gloves for safety reasons. If it is possible, you should maintain 3 feet distance while receiving delivery.
For payment purposes, they need to opt for online payment. To avoid the exchange of money physically, use online payment platforms. It is an easy, simple and safe way to perform monetary transactions while practicing social distancing. To pay during the delivery time, you can use the printed QR code and attach it to the delivery item. Sasto deal says they have eSewa as a preferred payment option, though they have Cash on delivery, they do not encourage people to do so.
We recommend you read the Top 10 productive use of the internet in this lockdown period.
Delivering essential foods and goods to the doorstep during coronavirus lockdown is a difficult task, let’s respect their effort. Let us extend our gratitude towards the online stores for serving us even during these troubled times. We appreciate those selfless workforces who are tirelessly working to ensure our safety and well-being.
Happy shopping!
