Over the past few months, I’ve become a regular user of Instamart. For those who don’t know, it is a grocery service by Swiggy. They offer a lot of things but I had many questions because their service was superfast but what about quality and other things. And after ordering from Instamart 10-15 times in different cities, I wanted to share my personal experiences with this grocery delivery service. Instamart has certainly had its good moments, but there are also areas where it could use some improvement.
Let me tell you the things that I absolutely loved about Instamart:
1. Quick Delivery: I have tried Blinkit, Big Basket, Amazon Fresh, and even Flipkart, but one of the standout features of Instamart is its rapid delivery service. While it used to arrive within 30-45 minutes, there have been times when I got my order of more than 25 items within 10-15 minutes, which not only left me surprised but also happy. I don’t think there are any faster options available. This quick turnaround time has been a lifesaver on multiple occasions. Like there have been times when I was late from the office and I ordered groceries urgently and I was able to get it in 10-15 minutes, which was faster than I going to shop outside myself
2. Good for Cravings: What I mean by this is that Instamart has a lot of products like chocolates, cold drinks, munchies and even ready to cook items. The good thing is that even if you order it after 9-10 pm, then you will also get the order delivered to you asap. I don’t think any other grocery delivery service like Big Basket or even Amazon offers this. It is my go-to option for satisfying those sudden snack desires.
3. Packaging of Fruits and Vegetables: I always have issues with how some grocery delivery services handle fruit and vegetables. But I really appreciate the attention to detail in the way Instamart handles fresh produce. The fruits and vegetables are neatly packaged and always appear fresh. The main thing is items like Tomatoes and Bananas don’t get squeezed, which has happened to me in the past when I ordered from Big Basket.
4. Low Delivery Charges: You won’t get any delivery charges as long as your order totals 99 rupees or more, which is amazing. It’s a fantastic way to save on delivery costs while ensuring that you have all your desired items delivered right to your doorstep without any extra expenses.
Now, let me tell you bout the areas where I think Instamart lacks and a little bit of improvement can make it great:
1. Assortment: While Instamart offers a decent variety of products, I’ve noticed that in some categories, there are very limited options. For instance, when it comes to eggs, only the Suguna brand is available. Considering that eggs are a high-frequency purchase, it would be great to see a wider range of brands like Best and Ayur, which are more widely available in other stores as well. Even when it comes to other things like milk products, they can definitely add more brands so we have more options to choose from.
2. Cut vegetables: sometimes when I am in a hurry, I order cut vegetables from Instamart but it can be a bit tricky. On one occasion, I ordered cut carrots and cut beetroots, but the size of the cuts was unusually large. So I had to cut them again into small pieces, making it a waste of extra money that I gave for cutting vegetables. Unlike other platforms like Big Basket, which offer specific cuts like Julienne cutting, Instamart could enhance its precision in this regard. This will make users happy to give extra money because they are getting good service.
3. Items Close to Expiry: Another concern I’ve encountered is receiving products with a limited shelf life. For example, I once received atta (flour) and paneer with less than 35% of their shelf life remaining. This can be quite frustrating, especially when there’s no opportunity to check and return items upon delivery, as some other services like Big Basket offer.
4. Experimental Brands: While variety is nice, I’ve had some disappointing experiences with experimental brands from Instamart. For instance, I ordered a Coffee cake from “Bakers Dozen” and Samosas from “Samosa Singh,” and both turned out to be quite subpar. Given the limited assortment, it might be wiser for Instamart to stick with established and reliable brands. This will ensure the best quality.
Final Thoughts:
Instamart has been a valuable addition to my grocery shopping routine, especially for quickly satisfying cravings or filling in the gaps when I realize I’m missing essential ingredients mid-cooking or faster urgent deliveries at night. However, I don’t see it replacing my primary grocery shopping source entirely for now but it definitely has a huge potential.
Instamart has its strengths and weaknesses, and it’s worth considering based on your specific needs and preferences. I feel if your priorities are speed and convenience for small, immediate grocery needs, it’s a solid choice. However, for a comprehensive grocery shopping experience, it might not be the ideal option.
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With these grocer deliveries, we don’t get the cold drinks like pepsi/coke etc delivered cold. they are hot as normal water bottle.
Yes, this is a big thing. I am sorry I forgot to mention this but this is an issue with most delivery guys. once I was out for a 1 month and was living in a PG without refrigerator and I ordered cold milk – based drinks and they came in hot. I was really disappointed. But I have been satisfied overall with Instamart service. They really have done a good work, I think the fast delivery has been possible due to their food delivery network. If they resolve the issues, I mentioned, then I may consider them as the first choice for grocery.
FREE shipping above Rs 99 is not for all orders. Swiggy provided that for first 5 orders on instamart. After that I think they charge delivery fees for orders below Rs 250/- even for Swiggy One members.
Same thing happens with other quick-commerce delivery platforms like Blinkit, BB Now. They lure you initially saying you unlocked free delivery above 99. I have seen they offer free delivery randomly when they think this person is not interested in the app anymore. Like no orders placed for weeks or months.
Dunzo Daily also does same. Keeps reducing shipping charges in slabs as you keep increasing the total cart value. Swiggy does same thing.
Thanks for updating about the delivery charges after 5 purchases. I didn’t know that. But I think 250 Rs. is also okay as whenever we do grocery shopping, we are least spend 250 rs. Yes, it will be difficult to use it for single items because Swiggy usually has high delivery charge.
I couldn’t agree more with the amazing job Swiggy has done by launching Swiggy Instamart. I absolutely love their instant services, wherein they deliver products within 15 minutes. There are several instances when you find a certain ingredient missing in your kitchen or crave something. With Instamart you can get the desired product delivered to your doorstep within the blink of an eye.
I like their timely delivery along with the amazing quality products. They even deliver ice-creams packed in hydrogen ice, which retains their quality. You can enjoy your ice cream frozen instead of melted liquid. Even the vegetables are fresh and sold at competitive prices. I find their fruits and coconut water also quite fresh and packaged well.
They do charge package handling fees and distance fees, but it is a small amount to be paid in return for home delivery service and quality products. Earlier, there was no COD option, but now even that has changed, making it much more preferable than other counterparts.
Swiigy Instamart is my go-to portal for online delivery of grocery, fruits, vegetable, and other essentials.
As I mentioned in the post, I’ve had a similar positive experience with Swiggy Instamart! The 15-minute delivery for me is a game-changer, especially when you’re missing a crucial ingredient or have sudden cravings. The best thing is that they deliver late night too without hassle. The quality of their products, from ice-cream in hydrogen ice to fresh vegetables, has consistently impressed me. I agree, the small fees for package handling and distance seem reasonable given the convenience and quality they provide. It’s become my top choice for quick and reliable delivery of groceries and essentials.
DON’T USE THIS APP
I purchased some items for office use, but when I asked for an invoice to make a claim, I received no response. I raised the request through the app, called, and emailed, but still haven’t received the invoice. Despite calling 3-4 times and being told I would receive it within 24 hours, it’s now been 192 hours (8 days) and I still haven’t received the invoice. Because of this, I was unable to make a claim with my company and had to pay for items that weren’t for my personal use.
It was my mistake to trust them and order from them. I’ll never use this app again.
Hey, I am not sure which app you are using. But I can understand that this can happen.