ThinkStock PhotosChai Point, the country's biggest tea retailer, has partnered Dunzo and Shadowfax for last mile delivery, the latest to take direct route to customer homes.
In India, most food and beverages chains are not allowed to operate in malls, an area where significant number of their outlets are located. On a stand alone basis, however, Chai Point is running about 50 stores out of its 170 doors across 13 cities now.
“As social distancing and less face to face interactions become a norm, our customers are also placing their faith in us to deliver food in a safe and contactless way," said its co-founder Amuleek Singh Bijral adding that operations including preparing food and beverages to packaging will mostly have no direct contact of hands and automated.
"With this mandate, we went back to the drawing board and have now integrated new safety measures for both store and delivery. For us, safety of our staff and customers is non negotiable,” Bijral said.
Most consumer goods firms such as Hindustan Unilever, ITC, Mondelez and Procter & Gamble, have started selling products directly to consumers, circumventing traditional trade and distributor networks in areas where last-mile delivery has been disrupted due to Covid-19 restrictions. While restaurants have been using Zomato and Swiggy for delivery since many years, latest direct-to-home initiatives by F&B players also involve partnering startups such as Dunzo and Scootsy.
The tea retailer, that had revenues of Rs 138 crore during FY18-19, is also expanding its own fleet for making for delivery within a kilometre radius of their stores. In an internal study, the retailer also found that preferred not to pay for delivery and also details of food prepared and packaging.
BoxC, Chai Point's dispensers in offices, will also see new guidelines and the fully automated android machine is being monitored through a command centre remotely. Similar to most cafes where food that helps earn higher margin and increase average billing size, Chai Point has widened its menu to include products such as biryani, pav bhaji and omelette.
In India, most food and beverages chains are not allowed to operate in malls, an area where significant number of their outlets are located. On a stand alone basis, however, Chai Point is running about 50 stores out of its 170 doors across 13 cities now.
“As social distancing and less face to face interactions become a norm, our customers are also placing their faith in us to deliver food in a safe and contactless way," said its co-founder Amuleek Singh Bijral adding that operations including preparing food and beverages to packaging will mostly have no direct contact of hands and automated.
"With this mandate, we went back to the drawing board and have now integrated new safety measures for both store and delivery. For us, safety of our staff and customers is non negotiable,” Bijral said.
Most consumer goods firms such as Hindustan Unilever, ITC, Mondelez and Procter & Gamble, have started selling products directly to consumers, circumventing traditional trade and distributor networks in areas where last-mile delivery has been disrupted due to Covid-19 restrictions. While restaurants have been using Zomato and Swiggy for delivery since many years, latest direct-to-home initiatives by F&B players also involve partnering startups such as Dunzo and Scootsy.
The tea retailer, that had revenues of Rs 138 crore during FY18-19, is also expanding its own fleet for making for delivery within a kilometre radius of their stores. In an internal study, the retailer also found that preferred not to pay for delivery and also details of food prepared and packaging.
BoxC, Chai Point's dispensers in offices, will also see new guidelines and the fully automated android machine is being monitored through a command centre remotely. Similar to most cafes where food that helps earn higher margin and increase average billing size, Chai Point has widened its menu to include products such as biryani, pav bhaji and omelette.
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