Complete Curated Guide To Grocery Delivery App Development

Necessity is the mother of invention. Hadn’t we faced problems in our lives, how many of us would have survived? In fact, because we survived, we can dream of better things. Take the example of grocery delivery app development. 

Ever wondered how much we moved on right from buying groceries in the market to sitting on our couch and getting our grocery orders done.

But the movement from offline to online grocery market was not that easier.

The target market for a grocery app survived under every problematic situation while buying groceries. Due to these situations, a sudden rise in the demand for grocery apps became rapid. And so the investment by stakeholders in grocery app development. 

So before you ask, let’s get this. 

Why Is Grocery Delivery App Development The Solution? Answered.

1. Satisfying Customer Demands

Customer satisfaction is the foremost reason why grocery shopping apps would be introduced. Of course, it is done to meet their needs and ends besides looking into the profitable side of the service. 

On such a grocery business app, the essentials must be enlisted so that the customer finds whatever is required. The curated options would satisfy the regular demands of a household.

grocery delivery app development2. Delivery At The Doorstep

With the passage of time, time is flowing like a swift-flowing stream. More and more people are struggling to juggle work and shopping the basics. It does become a tedious job to visit a shop and pick up what they need. 

Since this app for groceries will promise to deliver the best items, people can now choose the items from the app and simply place an order. The items will be delivered to your location on the scheduled day, time, and date.

grocery delivery3. Hassle-Free Shopping

The jostling in the crowded markets, standing in long queues, haggling with the prices, problems in getting a change, etc. These are some of the patent problems faced by buyers or shoppers. 

However, with the on-demand grocery app, shopping has come a whole new way with easy payments and purchases. The company only delivers branded and hand-picked items. Thus, the buyer need not worry about the quality at all.

Related read: How To Scale Your Delivery Business Amidst Challenges

Who Should Create An On-demand Grocery App?

If you own a grocery delivery business and yet to take it to an online platform, then this is the right time for you to jump into grocery delivery app development.

Wondering how to make an app like Instacart? Then read on! Suppose you want to have your favorite dish and are feeling too lazy to cook it. What would you do? You would go to an expert who would cook it for you. 

Similarly, when a company fosters the thoughts of launching an app, it has to go to the right person to build a grocery. Here are the top ingredients to get the best grocery app served on a platter.

1. An Experienced And Reliable Team Of App Developers

Seek for the best app development team or the one that fits your grocery delivery app development budget. Learn about them and get in talks about what you need and what you don’t. The team of developers will discuss their plan of the app developing process with you. 

Once you give the final nod, they will be at it. It is better to avoid amateurs because they might not guarantee you professionalism. Moreover, the best part about hiring a professional team, to build a grocery app, is that they keep themselves updated about all the recent demands.

The team will cater to all the technical needs and requirements. They will also look into the functionality of the grocery app. You can fall back on them for any such assistance.

2. Check Out The Ones On High Demand

Do your studies before you chalk out what you want. It simply means to go through some of the competitive grocery apps and see their whereabouts. Some of the aspects that you must look into other grocery apps are

  1.     Presentation of the app
  2.     Segments to be included
  3.     Support team assistance
  4.     Prices of the items
  5.     Promotional grounds and offers

There can be more that might catch your eyes and attention while doing your research. Based on these, get talking to the app development team.

Why Is The Grocery Sector Moving Online?

Some of the answers to this question have already been mentioned in the beginning. In addition to those, there is more to probe and know. The entire purpose of the grocery sector is to let people buy the essential items for survival. 

Yet they have the free reign to purchase for luxury too. There are several reasons for the retailer’s are currently going for grocery delivery app development. Listed below are a few of those reasons. 

1. Getting Connected With More People

An online store or an app will propagate a particular store or brand more than an off-line shop would. Thus, having a grocery app would help retailers to reach out to more people. 

If the buyer is satisfied with the prices of the products purchased and the service, then they would recommend others. This will help in increasing the connections and widen the circle. The grocery app will be promoted well in this way, and their demand will surge.

app users

2. Users To Know About Better Brands

Giving a fair chance to all is necessary. There are so many grocery brands in the market today, and yet we stay confused to choose from them. The grocery apps would only tie-up with the best brands, helping to sieve through the rest of the brands. 

The app will display only the ones that maintain good quality and are worthy of purchase from. Users of the app will learn about brands whose goods are indeed valid, but they have not been heard of.

Related read: What Top 10 Features Can Make Your Logistics App Churn Out Revenues

3. Customized Needs

The retailers get a fair chance to sell all their items on a digital platform. They also get to acquire a good hold over the buyers by customizing their needs. The user or the buyer has the option to add items to the wishlist about which they can be notified later on. 

The personalized shopping list is made possible with the opportunity to choose and click on the items and products that they want. The grocery app has to suit the demands of the buyers, and this will be productive in the long run. The grocery delivery app development has made it possible for retailers to customize their user’s needs. 

4. Users Can Also Compare The Prices

There will be more than one brand on the grocery app. It hints at the fact that the buyer will see and compare the prices of the products and then buy them wisely.

5. Everything Under The Same Roof

It is only the grocery section that one finds on a grocery app. There are other sections added too. For example, one may find household products, toiletries, cosmetics, etc. on the app. 

Catering to more services would hike customer demands, and meeting them is the company’s responsibility.

online grocery storeThe Rise In Demand For A Grocery Delivery App Development

The amalgamation of business, market trends and customer demands all result in an excellent grocery app development. The basic need has to be met, and thus a user-friendly grocery app has to be developed. 

Reasons for the rise in demand for a grocery app development are stated below:

  •     Easy mobility: quick and easy mobility of the products. The user gets all the items delivered in time without having to move out of the home. The grocery app acts as a bridge between the buyer and the retailer.
  •     Busy work schedule: strenuous working hours do not leave most people with enough time to visit the market. On-the-go purchases can be made on the app in addition to saving time.
  •     On-time delivery: the promise of a timely grocery delivery service has also eased out the worries of running out of stock at home. The users expect that the executives will help them out with the best services. So an app has to be created on which the delivery can be easily tracked.

Related read: 5 Ways How GPS Can Streamline Your Truck Business

  •     Quick purchase: easy shopping has been made possible with these apps. Keeping this in mind, the company also has to keep flexibility in the weight and price of the items. Varied options must be on display that will lead to quick purchase without a second thought.
  •   Easy availability: the availability of the items must be displayed on the app. Proper and timely notifications must be updated so that items in stock or out of stock must be labeled properly. While developing the app, continuous evaluation, and updating of the same must be done.
  •     Time efficient: how much time will the app save? Well, it is difficult to say the exact time, of course. Still, it will save enough time to do something else that might seek attention. As a company, you must see to the fact that the user finds everything at the fingertips. The items must be categorized in such a way that there is no difficulty in finding the objects.
  •     Zero delivery charges after a certain cart amount: to suit the company’s profit, a minimum amount has to be decided upon. This will also help the user to buy the items in a bulk and save themselves from reordering time and again.
  •     Top brands to choose from: having a tie-up with top brands lead the users to trust you unconsciously. The users will know the grocery apps from the brands that you will make available for them. Remember, you are known by the company you keep.

grocery delivery appFeatures Of Grocery Delivery App Development

A great grocery app will have these features included in making the shopping experience a great one.

  1. Easy login- each user will have an individual account. Logging in through which should be done easily. This barely takes any time since you can log in to your personal account with your registered mobile phone number, Google account, email ID, etc. 
  2. Customer profile- the customer profile will include the name, location, and phone number of the user.
  3.  Maps for tracking- the user must be able to track the delivery boy on his way to the location. In case there is a problem on his part for locating the address, then the user can guide him.
  4. Notifications- notifications and alerts have to be sent to the user and also to the delivery executives. These alerts will give them both an idea about the status of the delivery and the items.
  5. Simple booking- choosing the items and booking the order has to be an easy one. You must keep in mind that there will be many users who are novice. So, keep your UI simple. Their inability to use your app will be a setback for your business.
  6. Varied payment options- if your app offers a variety of payment options then it will be feasible for the user to avail of the convenient one. This will not delay the payment as well. It can range from cash-on-delivery, credit or debit cards, e-wallet to others.
  7. Customer support- do have an option for customer help and support. A good and efficient team of customer care executives is essential since they will be the ones sorting the customer’s problems.

grocery app featuresFeatures Of 4 Main Grocery Delivery Panels 

If we are talking about grocery delivery app development, then we must keep in mind the control panels. All these panels together lead to an efficient working of the app. The game does not stop after the grocery app is developed and launched; rather it begins from that point.

1.     Customer Panel

  •         Store search option: the user can choose the nearest store from his or her location and get the items delivered to the desired address.
  •         Listed partner stores: the user should get to choose from the varied options of the enlisted partner stores.
  •         Item categories: a proper section on the items and their categories has to be there. This will help in easy sorting and choosing the items.
  •         Delivery time, date, and day preferences: these three options are given to the user. This option lets them receive the order on their availability.
  •         Order history: the customer can get to view the previous orders.
  •         Ordering and reordering of items: Customers should also have the option to place an order, reorder the old order, and to add items if forgotten.
  •         Sign-in and sign-out: signing in and out of the app has to be done by the user. Many apps have a particular logging out time. If the user forgets to or does not log out within that specific time, then he or she will be logged out automatically.
  •         Secure modes of payments: ensuring secured payments are needed, as the digital wallets are on rise. For example, payments made through e-wallet, bank account, debit and credit cards, PayPal, Google Pay and the likes. 
  •         Delivery Tracking: this option will keep the user to be alert about the estimated time of delivery. A proper usage of the GPS will let the user locate the delivery executive and help him find his way to the exact location. 
  •         Reviews: after each delivery, a pop-up for rating and reviewing the delivery executive will appear.
  •         Wishlist: an option to add items when re-stocked or price drops can be added.

Related read: Food Delivery Business Challenges: Expectations v/s Reality

2.     Admin Panel

  • Upload and alteration of Items and Category: any change or item that has to be replaced or re-stocked, is done with the supervision of the management. 
  • Multiple items By Single Store: choosing the items that will be on the panels, once again is decided by the management. It is their call to choose these items based on their demands.
  • Review & Rating: keeping a track of the customer’s feedback is a vital thing to do. This feature has to be administered so that the management also knows about the expectations of the customers. It will clearly give them a clue about their performance.
  • Revenue management: it is also the onus of the management to draw the revenues from the partner stores within the stipulated time. 
  • Promotions and offers: the management tags along with the stores to introduce new products and promotional offers. Thus, it goes unsaid that the percentage of the revenue is also decided by them.
  • Elegant Profile Management: leading profiles of esteemed customers are also tracked by the admin. In doing so they can make them their privileged customers and give them priority services and offers.

app like instacart3.     Delivery Boy Panel

  •         Order alerts: the delivery executive must be aware of the cancellation, placing, and delivery of the orders.
  •         Reviews and ratings: to maintain a good customer base, the delivery boy is also given an option to rate the user.
  •         Earnings: for each delivery, the executive gets a commission. The customer can also add tips for the executive. Also, these will be reflected in the earnings option.
  •         Payments: as the delivery executive will be delivering the orders, he must get to see what is the user’s chosen mode of payment.
  •         Order history: he will get a preview of the order placed and the items to be delivered.
  •         GPS navigating to find the location: the delivery address will be easily located by the executive with the help of the GPS navigation.

4.     Store Panel

  •         Featuring the items in-store and out-of-stock: the stores bear the responsibility of sharing information about the availability and non-availability of the items. They decide the prices of the items. However, they also have to keep in mind the revenue that they have to pay from their sales.
  •         Revenue management: the store must keep track of the revenue that has to be paid to the app owner for partnering with them. Maintaining an online record will keep the accounts clear on both ends. 

Related read: Want To Boost Your Logistics ROI? Here’s 3 Awesome Strategies For Your Business

  •         Promotion: any kind of promotion will be reflected in the app. So, the stores have to keep the administration informed about their plans well in time.
  •         Offers and discounts: in collaboration with the app owner, the partner stores must decide upon the discounts and sales.

online groceryThe Expenses To Be Covered For Developing The Grocery App

1. App development team

You have to pay the professional fees to the app developers. The app cost will vary from company to company based on their experience and popularity.

Always look for experience when it comes to hiring app developers, as app development requires a lot of expertise and skill which a novice won’t have. 

2. UI/UX designs and layouts

You also have to pay for the advanced designs and layouts if you wish for an attractive app. The basic and cheaper grocery delivery app design might serve the purpose but may not be equally effective.

3. Registration charges

This amount has to be paid in order to get prominence and recognition. Even to hold a patent, you have to pay a considerable amount. All of these will keep your grocery app away from legal hassles and copyright issues.

4. Grocery delivery App development platform

Choosing the platform will be chargeable. If your grocery app has to function on a single platform, then it will not turn out to be costly. 

But if you choose cross-platforms like Android and iOS then the charges will be higher. So, choose wisely.

5. Documentation and security payments

Get your documents and paperwork for the app done well in time. Leave no loopholes in such matters, which might cause a headache later on. 

Also, make the security payments a vital feature so that the data and the personal details of the users are secure.

Be wise and make a budget before you delve deeper. There might be other miscellaneous expenses and cost to build the app. These might occur once the work of the grocery app development makes progress. 

Related read: A Complete Uber App development Cost Estimation For Your Taxi Business

Technologies To Be Used In Grocery Delivery App Development

Hiring an excellent team of app developers will help you to relax about the following. Once you pay them their dues they will make use of these to deliver your desired app.

  •   Proper programming of the app at the backend: go for excellent programming at the backend for the best grocery app solution. It is like a spinal cord that will strengthen the app to work smoothly.
  • Coding languages: choosing the best coding language helps to create specific tasks that the app will perform. This will help in the regulation of the services of the app.
  •  Interface: after the behind-the-scenes work is completed, it will be the turn to see the result on the interface. The users must get a clear visual of your grocery app. This is the main motive behind developing a grocery app. Unless this is met, your app can actually go for a toss.
  • App operating platform: Android is mainly used to make these apps work as it is the most user-friendly platform. You can still opt for the others as per your budget.
  •  Testing and deployment: before the app goes live, proper testing needs to be done. The grocery delivery app development team will check the flaws and the drawbacks on which they will work. The final stage is the most crucial one because this gives the team a chance to make amends.

grocery delivery app developmentReady To Kickstart Your Grocery Delivery App Development?

In this era of technological wonders and digital life, grocery apps have climbed the pinnacle of success. Meeting customers’ demands have also become possible with timely deliveries and easy purchase. 

Failing to do so in spite of working closely with a grocery app development team will make you accountable. Just be on the lookout for the best development team possible which will help you to sail through tough times.

This clear cut picture of all the aspects of a grocery delivery app development will let you tally them with your expectations. Some might be exactly the same as you want. However, there might be more than what you have at the back of your mind. 

Infuse all the ideas before your grocery delivery begins its journey.  And also, just for keeps, be aware of the thorns in the rosy bed. Want the best grocery delivery app solution for your business. Yes? Then get in touch with our delivery experts and get your dream grocery delivery app developed. 


Swarnendu De

Swarnendu De is the Co-founder of AllRide Apps. He leads the product, sales, and marketing divisions at AllRide. Swarnendu is also the co-founder of Innofied Solutions, a technology company helping SMEs and Enterprises in digital transformation, product strategy, and development. With more than 15 years of industry experience, Swarnendu has been the author of top technology books, a speaker at numerous events, a mentor to startups, and has more than 10,000 online students. He has helped more than 600 businesses launch their tech products. Connect with Swarnendu on LinkedIn.

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