FOOD DELIVERY: SWIGGY
Log in: Swiggy.com
What is it? Swiggy operates around the concept of delivering food from the best restaurants in a neighbourhood to the customer’s doorstep. It takes orders from 8am to 10.45pm.
Swiggy and Calcutta: Swiggy launched in Calcutta on August 21, 2015 and the number of users has been growing by “10-12 per cent every day” says Rohit Arora, business head of Swiggy in Calcutta.
Some of the oldest names on board: Balaram Mullick & Radharaman Mullick, Mitra Cafe, Mocambo, Blue Poppy, Arsalan.
The surprises: Rao’s Udipi Home on Southern Avenue and Denzong Kitchen in Jadavpur.
Localities with maximum number of Swiggy restaurants and users: Mostly south Calcutta — Hazra down to Tollygunge, Naktala to Jatin Das Park, Park Street to Sarat Bose Road.
Average order spend: “We get orders starting from Rs 30 going up to Rs 12,000. The average order is between Rs 300 and Rs 600,” says Rohit.
Age profile of user: “Initially, we thought it would be the urban youth but we’ve seen more acceptance from those above 22-25 years of age,” reveals Rohit.
Most ordered meal of the day: Dinner.
t2 tried it: There’s no limit to the food cravings I have throughout the day. So whenever I learn about a home delivery service, I try it. It all began with Foodpanda, then Hungerz and now, Swiggy. I was elated to find that there’s no delivery charge if your order exceeds Rs 250 and I can eat my fave Chicken A La Kiev from Mocambo sitting at my office desk. The best part? The “track your order” option. What works for me? Lots of options, good packaging complete with plastic cutlery and paper napkins, and hassle-free user interface. All I want now is that Swiggy extends its service time at least till 11pm, so that 90 per cent of the restaurant options do not get non-functional by 8pm, citing busy delivery executives as an excuse!
— Sibendu Das
ONLINE SUPERMARKET: BIG BASKET
Log in: BigBasket.com
What is it? An online food and grocery store that delivers groceries to your doorstep between 7am and 10pm. If the order is placed before noon, delivery is same day.
BigBasket and Calcutta: The Bangalore-based company founded in 2011 launched in Calcutta in January. “It was the first city with 11,000 pre-registered customers even before we launched. Business has tripled in the last three months, both in number of customers and the orders,” said Ashish Tibrewal, business head, BigBasket, Calcutta.
The numbers? Its portal BigBasket.com averages five million monthly unique visitors and executes over one million orders per month. And... they have Shah Rukh Khan as brand ambassador.
Shopper profile: Customers are across age groups, typically 25-plus. “We also see that early adopters are trial enthusiasts, who typically belong to Sec A & B (high to mid-level income and education) segments. We also see that there is an equal mix of both the genders,” says Ashish.
Average spend: BigBasketeers typically buy staples and groceries for monthly stocking and fruits and vegetables, bread, egg and dairy for weekly usage. The average spend by an individual on a single monthly order ranges from Rs 900 to Rs 5,000 and weekly orders range between Rs 500 and Rs 1,200.
Which shopping trends reflect changing cuisines in Calcutta’s kitchens? “There are a lot more fish in the sea than Hilsa and the customers in Calcutta are discovering them, such as Pabda, Basa Fillet, Parshe and Bekti. They are also exploring our imported and gourmet category,” adds Ashish.
What next? One-hour express delivery. They’ve just rolled it out in Howrah (that’s where their warehouse is).
t2 tried it: Some people are addicted to online shopping of clothes. I used to wonder how until I started shopping for groceries online. It began with Grofers and then came along BigBasket. The variety at BigBasket is unrivalled. And they’re pretty dependable, which means the coconut milk for the Thai green curry you’ve been planning to cook will arrive! Only wish that express delivery rolls out soon and that one can shop for smaller quantities
— Karo Christine Kumar
INSTANT COURIER: PICKJI
About the start-up: Forgot your laptop at home? Want to send a gift to someone in town? Your friend has cooked biryani and you want some? Put PickJi, a quick delivery service, on the job. What’s special? App-based services come to the city after being successful in other parts of the country, but PickJi is born in Calcutta and will soon travel to other parts of India!
t2 caught up with co-founders Abhishek Jalan and Baibhav Agarwal.
How has Calcutta taken to PickJi in these four months?
With open arms! Today we are picking up nearly 2,000 packets daily from one’s desired location and delivering to their friends, offices, relatives and wherever one can imagine. We are generating more smiles than we thought! Our regular areas are central and south Calcutta. Howrah and the north are also competing well.
What are the most common delivery requests? And the most quirky ones?
From medicines to chocolates, flowers and an assortment of cakes to iPhones, mobile chargers, documents and clothes to food and cold juices — we are delivering it all. The most quirky one was picking up a hookah from Lansdowne and actually delivering it to Raichak Fort for a client!
The most stylish delivery we have done till date was the wedding invitations for a well-known city designer’s son, accompanied by a team of Punjabi dhol players.
How and why did you think of this start-up idea?
The idea sparked from our own needs. Hailing from financial backgrounds, we realised we need people just to pick up documents from various locations and deliver to different spots. Before we knew it, the idea had become an opportunity and today it is a full-time business.
What would you like to change?
While we would not like to change a thing, we would surely try to work on the turnaround time. The traffic in the city does slow us down sometimes but then we are working on our bikers and smart maps solutions.
The next step?
To take PickJi to other cities and make it a nationwide name.
t2 tried it: The first time I used the delivery app was when I ran out of lens solution at 9.30pm. All the shops around my home in Howrah were shut so I got PickJi to pick up a bottle that was lying with my friend. It cost me Rs 50 (for up to 5km and under 10kg). Cheaper than the return taxi fare to my friend’s house!
— Pramita Ghosh
GOURMET POPCORN: BATCAVES
Founders: Friends since Class VII at St. Thomas’ Church School, Howrah, Sonal Bhotika and Rahul Pandey, both 25, launched Batcaves Gourmet Popcorn “to take the munchy away from the cinema hall and make it fancy”.
About the start-up: The name ‘Batcaves’ has little to do with the superhero. It’s named after the Bat Caves in Mexico where the oldest popcorn (about 5,600 years old) was discovered.
You’ve probably seen this brand at t2 exhibitions and festivals like Nouveaau, Taste Collective and Little Haat.
How did the idea of gourmet popcorn happen? “It was an exciting idea but there was slight fear about marketing the product as people aren’t aware about ‘gourmet’ popcorn,” says Sonal.
Pop flavours? Nutty Mocha Tuxedo, Strawberry, Chilli Caramel and Bengali Delicacy, that tastes like mishti.
t2 tried it: I was gifted a pack of Batcaves popcorn — one each of the Nacho and Caramel flavours. A little weight-conscious, I decided not to finish it all at once, and press-locked the packet. For the next couple of days, till it ran out, the popcorn remained crispy and fresh. I pick up a couple whenever I come across them at exhibitions, and have even ordered in a few home. I wish THIS popcorn could be served at the cinemas too!
— Riddhima Khanna
Creating experiences: OUTBOX
Co-founders: Sukriti Agarwal and Kaushal Modi.
About the start-up: t2 first featured Outbox in June 2015 when Sukriti was fresh out of St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta, and her start-up only six months old. In this time, Outbox has grown from a midnight delivery service — mostly cakes & flowers — to creating experiences.
What kind of experiences? A tram party, horse carriage rides, private dining in a yacht, private screening of a movie in a cinema hall. “Calcutta is ready to spend if it’s an ultra-premium service,” says Sukriti.
How much is Calcutta willing to spend? “For something super premium, people are willing to pay Rs 30-35,000. Those who were spending Rs 2,000 last year are now willing to spend Rs 4,000,” says Sukriti. “Plus, there’s an emotional connect. When someone sees a loved one happy, it becomes priceless,” she adds.
The quirkiest experience: “We had a client who had gone in for a court marriage and now after a few years wanted to take dummy vows as he couldn’t do that previously. Planning that anniversary surprise has been the most different experience till now,” says Sukriti.
t2 tried it: My US-based friend was in town to celebrate her leap year birthday for the first time in four years. The Outbox team surprised her at her Garia home at 10pm in the middle of her party with balloons, red carpet and a guitarist who sang Yaaron dosti as we (her friends) joined in. It was the fun-est gift we could have given her together — KCK
