Circa 2014, we came across this line in an AIB video:
“Aap log hamesha time pe deliver karte ho, khana bhi deliver karenge, toh humari life sort ho jaayegi.”
And THIS is exactly what is happening these days. Right from gourmet food items like Swiss cheese to the mundane moong dal to a pizza from Pizza Hut, everything is available at the click of a mouse/ touch of the finger. Prominent companies like Godrej Nature’s Basket as well as many upcoming ones are foraying into the field of e-food and are setting up food portals. What makes the experience all the more amazing is that one can get amazing offers on the food items that one orders and that gives an extra impetus to go the ‘e-food’ way.
FOOD PORTALS FOR GROCERY FOOD ITEMS:
Food portals have existed for a long time when it came to sale of food products like pulses and grains on a wholesale basis, but retail of such items via the Internet is a trend, which is still in its nascent stages. Moreover sale of perishable goods over the Internet, barring those of cakes, pastries and other savories for special occasions, are also growing slowly and steadily. The most obvious factor is that people tend to look for freshness in these items and may not trust unknown people across the net to supply them with these goods, as opposed to their local grocery stores or vegetable sellers.
FOOD PORTALS FOR RESTAURANTS:
When it comes to provision of an intermediary between customers and restaurants, the Internet is a seasoned player and we’ve come across websites such as justdial.com, asklaila.com, titbit.com, etc. to do these honors. This concept was implemented in the early stages of online shopping boom and has grown to such stages that major joints like Domino’s pizza are also offering these services. Such services prove extremely useful for those who return home late from work and are too lazy to cook, but are pretty useful to us other non-working mortals who would like to order pizza or some fancy thing over the net for fun. It is a win-win situation for both restaurateurs and consumers, because restaurateurs notice a boost in their sale now that consumers find it a lot easier to order food over the net and indulge more frequently in it. It might even go ahead to widen their sales base to extent. However, on the flipside it also promotes a sense of lethargy to prepare one’s own meal and rely on unhealthy and oily meals from outside.
So in a world where Internet is taking over our lives to such great extents, it is quite obvious that we’re relying on the Internet for food as well. It has its pros and cons, but so does every other trend. What really matters is that we make wise and responsible decisions while using such services and exploit its benefits to the maximum, in a good way.