How the Qaddoo App ensures personalised touch over its digital platform

Jolted by the impact of the pandemic, Indians were quick to adapt to the online ecosystem. The change, however, left behind multiple loopholes, making small retailers bear the brunt as they lost not just walk ins but a lot of their loyal customer base and eventually their sales to the online platforms. This overnight change in consumer habits resulted in a declining foot traffic in these small neighbourhood stores, while generating huge profits and newer consumers for the e-commerce giants. Therefore, as big e-commerce giants prospered with their ability to tap more consumers, the small store owners of the neighbourhood were left behind.  This gap is what the company aims to eliminate completely via the Qaddoo App.

“The company has designed an e-commerce hyperlocal application, which makes it easy for vendors, and small retailers to go digital and be able to sell products through the Qaddoo app. Using the app, sellers are able to maintain the same personalised relationship, over the application,” inform co-founders Sumit Kapoor and Anurag Gupta. They add, “Technology can be both a boon and a bane, and we decided to help those in need by enabling the features that allow one-on-one conversation, making it convenient for both the parties to understand each other's requirements. The most important aspect is that Qaddoo does not charge any commission for the transactions between the retailer and the consumer for using its platform.”

Currently, India is home to an unorganised sector that is scattered across the country. Interestingly, the application is able to serve all these small vendors and empower them to take their brand to the next level. Other than Kirana stores, this app also touches an array of entrepreneurs like home chefs, road side florists, and vegetable hawkers, who don't just get to create a digital footprint but also enhance their presence.

“Looking at the placement of these vendors from a wider perspective, it is only feasible to understand that these stores offer a personal touch, much better than what auto generated recommendations can. For instance, while ordering from a big e-commerce digital platforms you might encounter unavailability of a commodity, so based on recommendations you might decide to order its close substitute,” informs Anurag Gupta. “However, when you order from nearby outlets, it is highly likely - in case a product is not available - that they would procure the item in spite of its unavailability or at best provide you with the alternative, considering the  knowledge they have about your choices and past purchases.  This validates the fact that AI based automatic recommendations  would never be able to provide the same level of satisfaction in comparison to an inpidual that knows you personally.”

Using the Qaddoo App, thus, offers an enjoyable experience for the consumer as well as the retailer because the same relationship now exists in the online space. As per the research data, retail industries of India contribute one-tenth to the GDP, and their development is hence directly proportional to the nation’s growth.

“It can undoubtedly be inferred that Indians would not want these stores to vanish from the map,” states Sumit Kapoor. He adds, “With Qaddoo, versatility of items that are available at reasonable market prices remains attached to the process, because no seller is ever forced to sell at a price lower than usual.”

Qaddoo’s potential is truly remarkable in the context of the Indian economy. For centuries, it has been these stores and vendors that have served well and as per the needs of the consumers. By making use of the Qaddoo App, this hyperlocal e-commerce firm is tackling the rising need to empower such stores, and subsequently the people working at these outlets.