JioMart Expands To 200 Cities Across India Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

Despite the lockdown relaxation, many people are still skeptical to physically head out to the shops. With many online options, people can buy groceries and other essentials from the comfort of their homes. To keep this trend going, JioMart is now delivering groceries across 200 towns and cities across India.

JioMart Expands

In a bid to compete against other e-commerce sites like Amazon and Flipkart, Reliance Industries brought in JioMart. In the last week of April, Reliance began a pilot project of the JioMart, delivering in select areas in Mumbai alone. Plus, users could order groceries on WhatsApp, which connected to the local Kirana stores.

The pilot began soon after, Facebook took a bit bite in Reliance's stake for Rs. 53,000 crores in new shares. Of course, the partnership has further boosted the JioMart, especially for small businesses. With Facebook's stake in JioMart, there's a win-win deal for all as Facebook's userbase further expands to small businesses and JioMart can further grow.

This brings us to the latest development of JioMart. The news of expansion comes from Damodar Mall, chief executive of grocery retail of Reliance on Twitter. The post highlights JioMart's expansion to over 200 towns across the country.

Big town or small, JioMart delivers in over 200 towns, starting today! Thank you, @ashsatlin . Our regards to your parents 🙏🏽 https://t.co/XtEbbF5bs1

— Damodar Mall (@SupermarketWala) May 23, 2020

JioMart Future Prospects

JioMart has tapped into one of the best resources available. Local Kirana stores and a popular messaging platform- WhatsApp (by Facebook). Detailed step-by-step instructions on how to order via JioMart can be read here.

JioMart sprouted at the right time during social distancing and is witnessing a surge in popularity. Features like free, fast, and hygienic grocery delivery are placing JioMart in strong competition with other delivery platforms. Reuters reports that the product catalog on the JioMart website will further expand after the lockdown.

Furthermore, Reliance is on a fundraising spree for the Jio platform. Already major players like Facebook, KKR, General Atlantic, and others have invested heavily on the Reliance platform, up to $10 billion in just a month. As the Indian government pushes the economy for revival, Reliance's JioMart might help pave the way to boost the growth of local stores.