The Influence of E-Grocers on Consumer Buying Behaviour with Special Reference to Navi-Mumbai Area

Two decades ago, grocery shopping involved visiting the neighborhood grocery shop and purchase the required products from the limited offerings available, but today's scenario is completely different. Today consumers have many more options like Supermarkets, Mini-marts, Specialty stores and even E- Grocers, which have made their life easier. As per Nielsen's studies, Grocery and general stores account for more than 75 percent of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sales and together form the biggest retail channel in India. Groceries sell irrespective of the state of the economy. Customers may stop going to the cinema and restaurants, but there's no way one can live without toothpaste, soap and vegetables. According to industry estimates, of the $500 billion-plus retail market in the country, food and groceries account for the biggest chunk with around 70% market share. But when it comes to online grocery market of India, the figures are still less than $100 million. Few possible reasons for this could be lack of consumer trust in the quality of FMCG products being delivered, late deliveries, product mismatch etc. However, players like LocalBanya.com and Bigbasket.com are trying to change consumer perception with new advertising campaigns and investment in optimal distribution capabilities. This paper aims to analyze the influence of E-Grocers on consumer buying behavior in Navi Mumbai area. It also analyzes the demographic profile of consumers who uses digital channel while buying groceries.