After the number of coronavirus cases accelerated within the valley, the second lockdown in Kathmandu strictly started from the day of Bhadra 3, 2077. Since then, the government had strictly banned the mobility and operation of all kinds of businesses. Nepal Police then arrested those online delivery staffs and even some founders to ban their operations. This was because they found out that the online services were delivering non-essential goods as well to the customers amidst the lockdown.
However, the public and private organizations started protesting the halt of e-commerce and delivery services. It is due to the inconvenience it caused to the customers and their business. Thereafter, the government has now decided to allow the functioning of some online delivery platforms by adopting some necessary precautions and following some guidelines for COVID-19.
Guidelines to resume online delivery service
The District Administration Office of Kathmandu has introduced some rules and regulations to ensure a safe home delivery service for the customers. The major procedures that should be followed before operating the service are as follows:
- Only the essential items can be delivered in this prohibitory period.
- The people who are involved in the delivery services have to get a PCR test before joining their works.
- Only those people whose PCR reports have come out negative are allowed to deliver the essential goods to the houses of the public.
- The details of the delivery personnel, Vehicles, and the Customers shall be recorded and presented to the administration if required. Every detail regarding the working personnel’s health shall be recorded and evaluated from time to time.
- The delivery time of the essential goods is from 1 pm to 7 pm.
- The payment for the delivered goods should be done through online payment methods like a digital wallet.
Only after the above-mentioned procedure is followed, the online delivery businesses can operate in the city. The government has permitted only a few of the e-commerce services to distribute essential goods and groceries to the people.
So, we have collected the details of some of the popular online delivery platforms/sites that are operating throughout the city. The list of the online delivery sites in the latest lockdown/prohibition is as given below:
Bhatbhateni Super Market online delivery
Embracing the motto“ Save Time, Save Money”, Bhatbhateni Super Market has marked its position as one of the leading departmental chains of Nepal. It has its branch situated in every major city including the capital. This has indeed made shopping convenient for its customers.
Again, during this stressful period created by the pandemic, Bhatbhateni has made it possible to deliver goods to the houses of the people. To place an order, you can leave a message on its official Facebook page that is Bhatbhateni supermarket or Instagram account (bhatbhateni_official). Their official contact numbers include 9801246806 and 9801234861. You can even text on these numbers or reach out through Viber and Whatsapp.
Bhatbhateni not only supplies within the Kathmandu valley but also delivers in the major cities like Pokhara, Chitwan, Bhairawaha, Butwal, Biratnagar, Nepalgunj, and Dharan.
Kirana online delivery
Kirana is another online platform that is operating amidst this lockdown. It sells almost all kinds of essential grocery items along with dairy products, fresh fruits, and vegetables. The method of payment is through online banking and card on delivery. You can visit the official site at www.merokirana.com and their mobile app.
They have announced to make their “Haat Bazar” live from today which delivers essential items in this prohibition period.
Sastodeal online delivery
Sastodeal is a popular site among those people who shop online mostly. Not only does it sell clothes, gadgets, and other accessories. But also provides home essentials like rice, pulses, oil, tea and coffee, salt, dairy products, etc. You can explore the site www.sastodeal.com to purchase items. Sasto Deal also delivers the essential food items from the Government’s own Nepal Food eCommerce portal. They do not have their mobile app yet.
It is one of the eCommerce platforms that has not halted any of its online delivery operations in this latest lockdown. They have recently added brands from Flipkart and Myntra in their platform.
Bhojdeals online delivery
Bhojdeals is also delivering food and grocery items based on the orders placed online. It mostly supplies restaurant meals and dishes to your home. To order, you will have to first download the BHOJ app. Then, select the grocery items, food, and vegetables that you want to purchase. It does not have a minimum order requirement. Also, the delivery charge is free if you order the items for more than Rs.1000. You can choose to pay online or give cash on delivery. Their contact number is 01-5970070.
Daraz Online delivery
Daraz and Big Mart have come together to sell essential items to the customers through the online platform. All kinds of fresh food, groceries, and edible goods are available including items for breakfast, lunch, dinner, bakery products, dairy products, beverages, etc.
📢 IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT 📢
We have resumed our delivery services for essentials items in Kathmandu valley and few…Posted by Daraz Online Shopping on Thursday, September 3, 2020
Not only does it deliver your order as fast as possible, but it also updates its site with the latest sales and items on discount. For example, Daraz is currently providing a discount of 20% on its essential deals. Furthermore, you can use a Visa card and get up to 15% cut off on the items. Another way, you can use e-Sewa and other mobile banking applications. So, download the Daraz app and all your necessary products will be supplied at your doorstep.
Foodmandu online delivery
To provide service to its customers in the pandemic, Foodmandu also has introduced Foodmandu fresh to deliver the grocery items to its customers. Situated at Naxal, Foodmandu fresh supplies its deliveries throughout the Kathmandu valley. You can contact them in between their working hours that is 11 AM to 8 PM.
It not only supplies edibles from vegetable markets, dairies and bakeries but also supplies dishes from cafes and restaurants. They will deliver the goods within four days after the order placement. It only accepts online payment through Khalti digital wallet, Fonepay, and eSewa services. But to order something first, your minimum purchase should be of Rs. 1000. You can also call them at the contact number: 4444177, 4440979, and 9802034008. Also, visit the site at www.foodmandu.com or use its mobile app.
Thulo online delivery
Thulo, also known as thulo.com, is one of the biggest supermarkets and e-commerce sites in Nepal. It provides all kinds of items like Packaged Foods, Dairy Products, liquors and beverages, and fruits and vegetables. It has hundreds of items with varieties of brands and options to choose from. Not only that, options for digital payment are also available through Fone pay, e-Sewa, IME pay, Standard Chartered, Khalti digital wallet, etc.
Moreover, to attract more and more customers, it has come up with several delivery services both inside and outside the country. It includes Free 3 Days Delivery, Free 7 Days Delivery, Express – 2 Hours Rapid Delivery, Express – Same Day Quick Delivery, Express – One-Day Delivery, and so on. It supplies within the Kathmandu valley and also to various parts of Nepal according to the service you choose. Whereas, if you order from inside the valley for Rs. 999 and more, you don’t need to pay for delivery charges.
They say that they will resume their delivery service once the Lalitpur curfew is over. They also have a mobile app from which you can buy the essential items easily.
Khaanpin online delivery
Previously famous as the night online food delivery service in Kathmandu, Khaanpin has already extended its service to supplying groceries and food items. From daily essentials to cakes, grocery, and frozen items, its motto is to provide “something for everyone”. Khaanpin is also active in social media like Facebook and Instagram.
However, to place an order you need to either download the Khaanpin app or order online. The contact number is 9801225225 around the Kathmandu valley and 9802838383 for Pokhara. You can call or leave messages in Viber. It claims to deliver the goods within 12 hours of the order being placed in the major cities like Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, and Pokhara. Its special characteristic is that it delivers the items to your doorstep until midnight.
Read: Best Food Delivery Apps in Nepal
Foodmario online delivery
Foodmario is Nepal’s first and the only platform that delivers meals and dishes prepared by home-chefs. This unique characteristic of this online delivery service can turn very helpful during times like these. As people fear ordering foods from restaurants nowadays. In this scenario, people can be laid back to order foods from chefs who prepare meals from their homes in a hygienic manner. To place your order, you have to download the Foodmario app on your device. You can then choose the dishes from the chefs that you like.
We ran PCR test for all the Delivery heroes, and all of them tested negative.
We are happy to let you know that we will…Posted by Foodmario on Friday, September 4, 2020
Through its Facebook page, Foodmario has just informed its customers that all their staff in charge of delivery tested negative when they ran the PCR test. They have happily stated that Foodmario has resumed its services. Also, they have requested their customers to take precautions while receiving the food. For further information, you can contact them at 9801079255.
Conclusion
Some of the above-mentioned sites have closed for the time being considering the government’s requests to take the required precautions. They have notified that they will resume delivering as soon as their staff complete their testings and find negative.
With the local administration halt of the eCommerce business earlier, people were debating, Is the online delivery any safer in this pandemic period?? And there are people who argued if all of the businesses are shut down why not curb online delivery too?
Moreover, we have to urge the government to make protective suits, PPE, gloves, masks, and sanitizers available for these people. They should maintain zero contact with the customers while maintaining distance from even their staff. They also have to sanitize vehicles (used for delivery) time and again. This will certify safety for both the salesperson and the customer.
Read Top online shopping sites in Nepal.
No matter what measures the government is taking, we should all be careful and fulfill our duties as responsible customers. We should maintain a safe distance from the people bringing us the goods. Also, it is very important to wear a mask and gloves while receiving the packages. It is always the best option to pay online instead of exchanging cash or credit cards.
Tell us if you are willing to get the essential items delivered to your home or prefer to buy in the local shops instead?
