Step-By-Step Guide On Starting An Online Grocery Store

by Ramiz Ali Shah 6min read
The online grocery business is growing exponentially in Pakistan. Check out the Webx guide on how to set up your own online grocery store today.

Pakistani ecommerce market has grown by 84% over the last year, contributing 18% to the global growth rate. It is evident that the ecommerce market in Pakistan is booming.

As the ecommerce market grows, so do the different sectors. This includes online grocery stores. According to research, 9% of the total Pakistani ecommerce market. The best part about online grocery stores is the recurring purchases.

The grocery market is growing, making the online grocery business more viable than ever. This article will discuss why this is a good idea and how to start your online store today.

Why Does An Online Grocery Store Make Sense?

Over the past couple of years, the online grocery business has grown quickly in Pakistan. People these days are looking for convenience and if an online grocery store means they don't need to leave the house to get their groceries for the month, what can be better? As the market grows, it only makes sense to invest in this business.

Secondly, groceries are recurring purchases. Buying items such as mobile phones or accessories online is a one-time purchase. People usually change phones after months or years, but groceries are a necessity that needs to be fulfilled every month.

Finally, you can reach a wider audience in the grocery market. While not everyone can afford to buy an iPhone 14 Pro, every person from all SECs needs groceries. Targeting the masses can be good for your sales.

Creating an online grocery store can have several more benefits. These include:

  1. 24-hour service

  2. Automated inventory management systems

  3. Multiple payment options

  4. Delivery Scheduling

  5. Customer convenience

  6. Streamlined customer support

  7. Simplified ordering process

How To Start An Online Grocery Store?


Starting an online store can be a great way to build a business but you need to consider certain things before diving in head first. You need an online grocery store business plan before you can start.

Here are some of the steps you need to take:

Select Your Product Category Wisely

Your product category needs to be properly aligned with your target audience. Following are some of the things you need to keep in mind.

  1. Popular products and product categories in the market

  2. Customers' propensity to pay for a specific product

  3. Recurring purchases accompanied by promotions

One of the best ways to understand how to do this right is by conducting a competitor analysis. Research on the leaders in the market such as Krave Mart and Panda Mart. See how they are listing their products and the promotions they are offering. This can be a great baseline to optimize your store.

Learn About Your Target Audience


While everyone orders groceries, there are levels to the brands and products people buy. Someone from a middle-class household will not get Voss Water for their household, but a 19-liter bottle of Nestle will do them well. 

If you aim to target the masses, you need to keep grocery brands that are affordable for everyone. On the other hand, if you are targeting a specific sector, you can change your product offerings accordingly. It all boils down to the market you want to tap.

Manage Your Logistics


Your delivery model plays an integral part in your online grocery business. There are several delivery models to choose from:

  1. Quick delivery (order delivered in 30 to 45 minutes)

  2. Normal delivery (1 to 2 days to deliver products)

  3. Pick-up option

Businesses like Panda Mart offer instant delivery, on the other hand, brands like Naheed will deliver your products in 1 to 2 days. It all comes down to how you have set up your logistics and delivery systems.

You need to ensure that the products are delivered in the time that you have committed to the customer. Failure to do so can leave a bad impression, leading to your business losing customers.

Create An Online Store 

Once you have sorted out all your assets and logistics, the next step is to start creating an online store. While this process may sound daunting, the process is simplified with Webx Ecommerce website builder. Following are the steps you need to take to create an online grocery store for free.

  1. Create a brand name that defines your business

  2. Create visual collateral as per your brand

  3. Create product lists based on your inventory

  4. Plug in all your assets and product pages on the customizable themes

  5. Input your inventory in the internal inventory management system

  6. Go live

Why Do You Need An Online Store

People often get apprehensive when it comes to creating an online store. They are under the impression that doing so will require them to have some semblance of writing code. This is not further from the truth and Webx Ecommerce makes it a lot easier.

The Webx portal allows you to easily input all your information in a customizable template. It requires little to no expertise and you can have your website up and running in no time.

There are several reasons why you can benefit from your online grocery store.

Zero Downtime

A normal grocery store will shut down its operations for a few hours every day. With an online grocery store, you can take orders 24 hours a day. This improves customer satisfaction and portrays a reliable image of your brand.

Reach More

Digital penetration in Pakistan is higher than ever before. This means an online store can target a much larger audience. This is further solidified by tapping into the grocery market that pulls in recurring purchases.

Automated Inventory System

Most local grocery stores have started incorporating an inventory management system. These automated systems can be a great way to keep track of inventory and the same feature can be found in online stores, without the investment in expensive POS systems.

Time To Start Marketing 

Once everything is ready, you need to start getting the word out. One of the best ways to do this is through social media marketing and Google Search Ads. These marketing strategies can help people learn more about your brand and incite people to make transactions.

Final Thoughts

Webx Ecommerce can help you set up a fully hosted and customizable online grocery store in a few steps. We have simplified the process to the point where all you need to do is drag and drop.

We can take care of all the coding while you can sit back and watch the magic happen as your online store comes to life.

Sign up to Webx today and start your journey towards building the next biggest online grocery store.

FAQs

  1. How To Start an Online Grocery Business From Home?

There are several things you need to take into consideration before starting an online store. These can include:

  • Creating a brand name

  • Procuring inventory

  • Researching the target consumer

  • Signing up on Webx to start populating the pre-built template with your assets

  • Marketing your brand to build awareness and drive sales

  1. Is Online Grocery Business Profitable?

Groceries are a recurring purchase and with the rise in online buying and selling, online grocery stores can be highly profitable if they are marketed the right way.

  1. How To Create An Online Grocery Store Website?

There are several platforms such as Shopify that you can use to create an online grocery store. While Shopify might be slightly technical, platforms such as Webx can help you create a website in a few easy steps. All you need to do is create your brand on the website, get hosting and you are good to go.

  1. How To Create A Website For a Grocery Store?

Several brick-and-mortar stores also have their website. The primary aim should be to pull in revenue from all channels. You can simply sign up to Webx and create a website for your grocery store, driving sales from multiple channels.


Start your online store now