Is managing inventory, orders, and large store spaces getting trickier with added overhead costs? Do you need a safer alternative to in-store shopping for customers? Do you want to provide equal trust and satisfaction with improved logistics and on-time delivery?
Owning a dynamic grocery delivery app can help you streamline customer service and daily operations. Nowadays, most customers prefer ordering groceries online from the comfort of their home or office. What makes on-demand grocery delivery apps so popular is that they save people time and money, giving them a wider range of products that may not be available in local stores.
With the inclination to try new experiences and the potential to earn higher incomes, several startups partner with a reputed grocery delivery app development company to build an on-demand grocery delivery app. As an entrepreneur, you can retain customers only by offering personalized experiences and giving easy access to all groceries. With a grocery delivery application, you can expand your customer base, make informed decisions, and design successful marketing strategies.
As a newly established startup founder, you must understand several aspects of on-demand app development. Before you hire dedicated developers to build your app, make sure you have a deeper understanding of the below aspects.
Market Overview
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By 2030, India's food delivery segment is projected to grow to Rs. 2 lakh crores. From the present 12% share of online services in this country, the food delivery market will increase its share to 20% in the next seven years.
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The Indian grocery delivery market is expanding rapidly. By 2029, the number of grocery delivery app users will reach 263.8 million.
Types of Grocery Delivery Applications
Instacart, Walmart Grocery, Blinkit, Big Basket, Shipt, and FreshDirect are some of the best-known on-demand grocery delivery apps.
There are five critical different types of grocery delivery applications
App Complexity
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These apps work as middlemen for vendors or stores and the users.
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They provide a single platform for users to shop online for any products they want.
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Users can examine and compare prices and product quality with those of their competitors.
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Consumers can use this app to purchase groceries by listing items they want.
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They can also save the order details and repeat them whenever required.
Retailer Apps
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A retail app is developed for a specific grocery company or a hypermarket store.
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They are independent retail brands that provide seamless shopping only for their products and services.
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Shoppers can download this app, go through the items from the catalog, and buy the product chosen from the app.
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Retailer’s app can provide personalized benefits to their customers by offering loyalty programs and discounts.
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This is a winning strategy for retaining loyal customers and ensuring repeated purchases.
Subscription-based grocery shopping apps
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Users get food products with regular shipments only if they subscribe.
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All the subscribers who pay a fixed amount will get the supply of essential products at regular intervals.
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Such apps offer flexible packages that match the users' household needs and fulfill their individual needs.
On-demand grocery delivery app
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People want groceries within a short time or on an immediate basis.
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The on-demand grocery delivery app considers speed and efficiency as the core performance indicators for timely delivery.
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With the latest GPS location tracking technologies, these apps can track live locations, suggest route optimization, and provide on-time delivery.
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Users love such apps because they are flexible and spontaneous and provide a convenient shopping experience.
Top Features You Must Have in Your Grocery Delivery App
You can hire dedicated developers from a well-established grocery delivery app development company. They provide mobile app development services and know how to integrate the best features and functionalities into your app, leading to higher profits and more traffic. You require the below set of features in your app to ensure users’ comfort and convenience.
User Panel
In this module, users register their profiles and choose items they want to purchase. This feature focuses on protecting users’ browsing data and displaying relevant items. Several sub-features include:
Customer registration and login
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It provides easy account execution and authenticated sign-in process.
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Two-factor authentication
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Email/phone number registration
Add items to the cart
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Add to cart function
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Wishlist or favorites option
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Quantity adjustment
Product browsing feature
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Intuitive navigation
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Featured products and offers
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Filter and search options
Order tracking
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Live order tracking
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Order confirmation notification
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Estimated delivery timeline
Secure Payment options
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Credit/debit card payment
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Mobile wallets into product
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Cash on delivery
Rating and reviews
Customers can rate products and share their reviews, aiming to improve and build a trusted community environment.
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Ratings
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Written reviews
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Review edits
Delivery Agent Panel
This module includes the features
Registration and verification
Delivery workers and drivers must register and get verified before starting work with the company. These agents should be trustworthy and qualified to drive.
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Background checks
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Verification process
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Document submission
Order management
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Accept or reject orders
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Route optimization
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Delivery status update
Navigation to delivery locations
The voice navigation feature helps drivers find their client’s location in case of indefinite directions.
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GPS Integration
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Traffic updates
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Turn-by-turn directions
Feedback management
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Feedback forms
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Customer ratings
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Performance reviews
Track earnings
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Earning dashboards for agents to monitor earnings in real-time
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Payment history
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Incentive programs
Admin Panel
This panel gives you a holistic control of all grocery delivery management processes.
Dashboard Analytics and Insights
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Sales analytics
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Inventory turnover rates
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User management metrics
Inventory Management
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Stock monitoring
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Product catalogue management
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Supplier integration and management
Payment Gateway Integration
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Payment gateway configuration
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Refund management
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Transaction monitoring and security
User and Delivery Agent Management
Moderators must get access to manage accounts and perform activities like editing, deleting, or modifying profile settings.
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User profile management
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Account suspension/deactivation
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Delivery agent allocation
Promotions and Discounts
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Coupon code generation
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Discount rules configuration
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Promotional banner management
Steps Involved in Grocery Delivery App Development Process
Let us discuss the most crucial steps in developing the grocery delivery app.
Identify Target Audience and App Features
The first and foremost step before you start developing your app is to know your target audience and understand the vibe of the current market. You can research competitors’ models and the way they promote their products. You must know your product’s demand, threats, weaknesses, and strengths at this stage. Find answers to the below questions:
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Did you identify the market gaps?
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Which features will you offer to fill that market gap?
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Which user journey will you focus on?
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In what ways will you build the product awareness?
Design Intuitive UI/UX
Creating a compelling interface requires immense research on competitor UI/UX approaches and user experience strategies. One of the most effective ways is to provide an easy-to-navigate, platform-compatible app that can engage more users and ensure security. You can hire the best mobile app development services to have a visually appealing UI. Their UI/UX designer team will know how to develop robust prototypes to help you define needed features, including visual and user experiences.
Choose the Right Technology
Once the prototype is approved with appropriate design specifications and style guides, you must decide on animations and navigation elements. You can hire dedicated developers to write and structure code for various platforms with optimization and compatibility. Also, define the architecture you want to build to connect multiple user elements with perfect technologies.
You must use the best technology stack for grocery delivery applications, ensuring resilient infrastructure and compatible operationality. It all depends on the type of app you wish to build. Following is an overview of standard technology stacks that developers use to develop a robust grocery app:
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Stage of development |
Tech-stack Suggested |
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Front-end development |
React Native/Flutter JavaScript |
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Back-end development |
Node.js/Python |
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Database Design |
MongoDB, MySQL, Firebase |
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API and Servers |
AWS, Docker |
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Testing |
Mocha, Jest |
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Deployment |
AWS, Google Cloud, Apple Store |
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Maintenance and Updates |
Github, Jenkins, Docker |
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Real-time Analytics and Chat |
Datadog, Prometheus, Kafka, WebSockets |
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Third-party Integrations |
Google Maps, Geocoding, PayPal |
Develop and Test the App
It’s time to put the plan into action. Initially, we suggest creating an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) comprising basic features that can be scaled and iterated according to user feedback. MVPs focus on the main functionality of a customer app and an admin app. Once the MVP gets approved, you can send your app further for manual or automated testing to ensure it functions well in any given circumstance.
Launching and Marketing Tactics
Developing stellar mobile applications for more than 15 years, we have acquired sound knowledge about the advantages of having the right mobile app development partner for a startup and a well-established company.
This phase is the final phase, where, after the product gets final approval, it is deployed on various platforms like Google Store or Apple Store for further launch. Next, the app functionality is maintained by performing regular maintenance to avoid unwanted bugs and errors.
Cost of Developing a Grocery Delivery App
The cost of developing an on-demand grocery app depends on factors like the tech stack, development requirements, third-party integrations, etc. A simple MVP will cost around USD 25000, and a complex one can cost up to USD 45000.
However, we suggest you connect with a reputed on-demand app development company. They will have a team of development experts who conduct rigorous research and build a prototype based on documentation. They will provide the best mobile development services. A fully featured app can cost between USD 50000 and USD 100000 and can take up to six to eight months to complete.
Conclusion
Whitelotus Corporation is a well-established grocery delivery app development company that offers customer-centric solutions. We evolve our processes based on the changing trends and customer preferences. Our final products have feature-rich UI, intuitive dashboards, and rich functionalities that users always love.
We are a leading full-stack app development company that delivers robust mobile and web applications. You can hire dedicated developers from Whitelotus Corporation to build small—and large-scale grocery delivery applications. We know how to harness the tools and functionalities of various technologies to create the best solutions that will meet your expectations.
