Buying groceries and vegetables online is a good idea in this corona virus covid-19 period because you can avoid mingling with so many people. But you should know these basic things before making online purchases of these items a practice. There are many big players in the online grocery shopping arena like Amazon India, Flipkart, Bigbasket and now Jiomart also started their service. Bigbasket and Jiomart sell vegetables too online. Apart from these major players there are numerous regional and local players in many cities and towns.

Plan everything early and keep a Diary


It is very important to plan everything in advance. It is not a good idea to go out in this corona period to buy 1 or 2 items if a sudden shortage happens. So make sure you have sufficient quantities of most consuming and important items like rice, atta, sugar, salt, powders & masalas, tea powder etc available for at least a week, or if you can afford enough for a month. Keep track of it with a diary. Write down things available and things you need to purchase at the earliest. This is very important because getting a delivery slot in online grocery stores is very difficult nowadays and sometimes delivery may be delayed especially if there is a strict lockdown in your city.

Things to remember while ordering

Spend enough time and browse through different online stores and check for the earliest delivery slot available, current offers available, delivery charge, items available etc. Don’t order one or two items. Note down all the items you required in the next 2-3 weeks and purchase everything in one order. If you go for low value orders they will anyway charge the minimum delivery fee which is normally 30 to 50 Rupees. At the same time for high value orders some companies will waive the delivery fee. Also if you purchase everything at once you can avoid meeting the delivery people and this is especially important in the current covid-19 period. Also check for the manufacturing and expiry dates of items if available in their online description.

Delivery Time Tips


It is very important to follow the social distancing measures during this covid-19 period during the delivery time. Wear a mask and if available wear glasses too. Don’t directly collect items from the delivery person. Give a big basket or bag to the delivery person and ask him to put all items inside that. After bringing the bag home it is better to keep it in a safe place for a few hours before taking items, except refrigerated items. Remove the mask and wash your hands immediately. Vegetables and packed items wash thoroughly before using it or keeping inside the refrigerator.

Other Tips

If there is any intense lockdown or if you are in a containment zone delivery may be delayed by many days. So always make sure you have all essential items to survive for a few weeks. If you have a severe shortage of any essential items then it is better to order it from 2 online stores so that even if there is a delivery problem with one you can manage with the second one. Also take a list of all available items once or twice a week and note down things you need to buy in your next purchase so that you will not miss any items.