The current outbreak has led to disruption in many industries, retail and e-commerce are one of those industries. Saving the businesses, technology has always been a backbone for many industries and now it is yet again changing & becoming an integral part of a small store to a large enterprise.

From facing the loss of customers & timely supply of products to payment solutions, Kirana stores have experienced many such problems during the pandemic. Making ease in the process of retail and e-commerce operating businesses, brands are focusing on modernizing them by bringing digitalization at the forefront. This digitization will remove the barriers between customers and Kirana stores and help in accelerating the businesses.

Here are a few start-ups which are bringing a change to the industry:

MaxWholesale- It is a B2B e-commerce platform for kirana stores to source inventory online. It helps kirana stores discover price and scheme on various FMCG brands and products and order the same for reselling. MaxWholesale ensures that all orders placed on the platform are delivered to the kirana stores within 24 hours of placing. For this MaxWholesale operates its own warehousing and logistics infrastructure. The company owns 20,000 sq. ft warehouses in 8 locations in Delhi NCR and is operating with the delivery network of 60 vehicles in Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad to fulfil the demand of over 13,000 retailers. With its ERP and payments solutions MaxWholesale enables a truly cashless supply chain in India. With MaxWholesale “MaxPe” kirana stores can pay directly from their bank without any additional cost.

Khatabook- Khatabook enables micro, small and medium merchants to track business transactions safely and securely. It also offers features such as online payment collection through UPI and QR; sending periodic reminders to creditors via messages and report generation. These services help merchants recover receivables in a timely and efficient manner, enabling prompt business decisions.

Shopmatic- Shopmatic is a Singapore-based technology firm that provides e-commerce solutions to small businesses and individual entrepreneurs. Launched in 2014 with an objective to empower millions of aspiring entrepreneurs with a digital footprint, the company recently partnered with Singapore-based retail management solutions company Octopus to disrupt the retail market in Asia-Pacific with a suite of services to address the gaps that exist for offline businesses in going online. The synergy is helping local retailers implement an efficient omnichannel retail management system post establishing their business online. Equipped with a holistic online and offline ecosystem, these local retail stores are now able to manage their customers, reduce operational costs, synchronize inventory, onboard new customers, and offer loyalty points, etc. Such facilities, supplemented by real-time visibility of sales and staff performance, are enabling retailers to enhance their efficiency and scale up their retail business further.

Paytm Mall - Paytm Mall (owned by Paytm Ecommerce Private Limited), which is redefining the e-commerce space in India with its unique O2O (Offline to Online) model. Paytm Mall has recently partnered with over 10,000 Kirana stores, small shops, and other businesses for hyperlocal deliveries. They are enabling these small businesses digitally by allowing them to sell the essentials on Paytm Mall and giving them all the necessary logistics support required. The company is aiming to help shops and stores which have either noticed a sharp decline in footfall or had to abruptly pause operations due to the lockdown. Paytm Mall has started connecting them with their logistics partners so that these small Kirana shops and stores can deliver essentials to their customers and keep their businesses running.  

BANKIT- A business Correspondent to various Banks and partners with leading service aggregators for fast, simple and secure transactions. The network of banking correspondents in rural and semi-urban areas are going all out in this time of the pandemic to ensure that all of us together can sail through and come out of this stronger. BANKIT agents/ retailers are driven by a deep sense of purpose and a need to serve their communities. They have connections with the community that go far beyond just providing banking services. Bankit empowers local kirana shops, retail stores and other merchants to offer digital financial and non-financial services to masses. Current outlook of the Fintech industry in India highlighting Bankit’s contribution to nation-building by getting the banking infrastructure to the grassroots.