Hello everyone, this is my first post on InLEO and Hive , please excuse me if I am breaking any rules or not following something I should be.
I am an accountant by profession , I will talk about myself in another post but I have always enjoyed reading and engaging with people.
Something happened yestetday that really made my accountant brain spin. I was in the middle of some very boring tax work from home, and I desperately needed a coffee. I went to the kitchen and saw the worst sight for any working person – the coffee powder jar was completely empty. For a second I had a real panic, my whole afternoon was about to be ruined. Then I remembered these new apps, like Zepto and Blinkit. I had never used them before, I always thought it was a bit lazy. But I was desperate, so I downloaded one, ordered my coffee, and I am not joking, a guy on a scooter was at my door in 12 minutes. Twelve! I was just shocked. It felt like some kind of magic from the future.
Honestly, the convenience is something else. It is a lifesaver for people like me who are always busy or just forgetful. Last month my cousins came to my flat without telling me, and I had nothing to give them. I just opened the app, ordered some chips, cold drinks, and biscuits, and it all arrived before they could even finish telling me all the family gossip. For moments like that, it feels like the best invention ever. You dont have to plan your groceries perfectly or run to the store in the middle of the rain just because you ran out of onions. For young people living alone in a big city like Bangalore, it really makes life so much easier.
But then, after the coffee magic wore off, my accountant brain started working. i dont understand the business model at all. How is it profitable? The coffee I ordered cost me maybe 100 rupees. There was no delivery fee because it was my first order, but even if there was a small one, how do they pay for the delivery guy, the warehouse, the technology, the packing? It feels impossible. This business model it is is very strange. Are they just burning all the investor money to get us hooked? It also makes me spend more money on small, stupid things. Before, if I wanted a chocolate, I had to walk 10 minutes to the shop. Now, I can get it delivered to my sofa. My wallet is not very happy about this.
I also feel a little bit guilty, to be honest. For years, I went to Mr. Gupta’s kirana store at the end of my road. He knows my name, he knows what biscuits I like, and he always asks about my work. Now, I haven't seen him in weeks. Are these big tech companies slowly killing these small shops that are part of our communities? And I see the delivery guys waiting outside my building in the hot sun or the heavy rain, always rushing to meet that 10-minute promise. It makes me wonder if my urgent need for coffee powder is worth all of that pressure on them.
So I am a little bit confused. I love the service, but I also see all these problems. It's a classic Bangalore story, I guess. So much technology that makes life easy, but also so many new questions.
What do you all think, are these 10-minute delivery apps a good thing for our cities in the long run?