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How to Build a No-Contact Grocery Shopping App?


Abhinav Girdhar
By Abhinav Girdhar | Last Updated on May 22nd, 2022 10:01 am | 5-min read

We’re happy buying everything online today. Part of it may be due to the convenience of online shopping, while I firmly believe it is primarily because of procrastination. Whether it is Christmas shopping or grocery shopping, we are looking for ways to get things done at the last minute, minus the running around from store to store.

At this moment, the oft-repeated Apple phrase ‘There’s an app for that’ begins to ring true. As the pandemic hit the world hard, simple, everyday tasks like grocery shopping became a challenge, and many businesses were left asking whether they should consider creating an app. As the pioneers of no-code app development, we were bombarded with the same question – how to create an app for online grocery orders, on-demand delivery, small businesses, and more!

Many grocery stores that decided to go online took the first step by clicking on the button below. What’s stopping you?

Introduction

Grocery shopping is a chore no one particularly enjoys, well, except some people like me! But for the majority of people, it is just one of those things that need to be done. As our generation and the one before us are getting familiar with using technology for convenience, online grocery ordering has become a thing!

Everyone and their mother is now using a grocery shopping app to get groceries delivered to their doorstep without worrying about the time of the day.

To understand what a grocery shopping app can do for your business, we must first discuss the different types of grocery delivery apps.

Types of grocery delivery apps

The idea of grocery delivery apps may have gained more popularity recently, but it is not a new concept! In fact, the competition in the niche is so high that to get noticed, you have to focus on a specific type of grocery mobile app to get noticed by your target audience.

Here are the two significant types of grocery shopping apps for you to choose from:

  • Aggregator grocery delivery apps
  • You can develop a grocery delivery mobile app based on the aggregator model by collaborating with the local grocery stores. This model is ideal for grocery store owners, grocery store chain owners, or those who can collaborate easily with the local grocery store owners.

    In this model, the app users would see a list of grocery stores, and they can choose to buy from any of the listed grocery stores.

    As an app owner, you will only be a platform to bring customers and grocery store owners together. Order fulfillment and delivery will be the grocery store owner’s responsibility.

  • Dedicated grocery delivery apps
  • The dedicated grocery delivery mobile app has all the features of the aggregator model with one big difference. In this model, the app owner, i.e., you, will be responsible for all order completions. All the local grocery store owners will sign up on your app as sellers, and you will be managing a fleet of delivery personnel for all deliveries. Your grocery shopping app will manage all the online grocery order placement and deliveries.

Why are grocery apps popular?

You, me, and your neighbor’s cousins all love a good grocery delivery service. Have you ever stopped to wonder about the reasons? This is a great time to list down all the reasons why grocery shopping apps are so popular, especially among the baby boomers and millennials!

  1. Save your time
  2. You don’t need to drive all the way to your favorite grocery store that sells exactly the type of salsa you enjoy with your nachos. You can simply order it online and even book same-day grocery delivery through an app. No more time wasted in loitering through the aisles and no more waiting in the long checkout queues. You’re done with your monthly grocery shopping in minutes instead of hours!

  3. Save money
  4. You do not have to physically hunt for stores with the best offers and discounts on your favorite items. Instead, you can log in to a grocery home delivery app and compare all the offers from multiple grocery stores to avail the best one for you. You do not have to dig through your purse for expired coupons because everything is digital, and you just can’t lose them!

  5. Shop for others
  6. Do you have an ailing family member who cannot go out shopping and is too far for you to deliver groceries to personally? Use a grocery delivery app and get their groceries delivered directly to them. Are you worried about your recently independent kid surviving on soda and pizzas? Order some easy-to-cook groceries for them and encourage them to live a little healthier. Just use the grocery shopping app to take care of all your loved ones quickly and easily.

  7. Stop impulsive buying
  8. We all have been guilty of impulsively buying that pack of gum, candy, or deodorant stick at the checkout counter. Sometimes we come home and realize that we ended up buying way more stuff than we needed and forgot to buy the one thing we went to the store for! Grocery store apps prevent this from happening and make it easier for us to stick to the grocery list.

Must-have features for your grocery delivery app

Before we move on to the features that you must add to your grocery store app, it is important to understand that a grocery shopping app will have four parts or versions – one each for the admin, store owner, customer, and the delivery personnel.

Let’s list out the features one by one:

Features you must add to the grocery shopping app – Admin app

  • Order management dashboard – to have a bird’s eye view of all the orders that are being placed at any given time and the status of each order.
  • Inventory management – to be able to track the availability of products in stock for better order management.
  • Ability to accept or reject orders – according to the availability of products across all sellers.
  • Customer management – to attract them towards things they need through push notifications and more.
  • Feedbacks and rating – awarded to delivery personnel or store owners to devise an action plan for improvement in the overall customer experience.

Features you must add to the grocery shopping app – Store owner app

  • Profile management – to create a strong profile or listing on the online grocery delivery app. Add logo or image for better brand recognition.
  • Store locator – so that customers can type home delivery grocery near me and locate them easily.
  • Live tracking – to track the delivery status via GPS or Google Maps for better communication.
  • Store pickup – to allow the customers to order groceries online and pick the order themselves at a time of their choice.

Features you must add to the grocery shopping app – Customer app

  • Registration – to register for your grocery app and log in with basic credentials like their email address or phone number.
  • Browse stores and products – to allow customers to browse through different online grocery stores.
  • Filtered search options – to help customers find items by category, price, size, brand, or other filters.
  • Multiple payment options – to let the customer choose the payment method they are most comfortable using.
  • Order tracking – to keep an eye on the delivery status.
  • Review & rating – to give their feedback on their experience with the store and the delivery personnel, or the app, in general.

Features you must add to the grocery shopping app – Delivery personnel app

  • Registration – to register and log in with their basic information like an email address or phone number.
  • Order delivery history – to check which orders they have completed and which ones are pending.
  • Notifications – to inform them of incoming deliveries and location details.
  • GPS navigation – to reach the location for pickup and delivery using Google Maps or other navigation services.

How to make an online grocery order form app?

Appy Pie’s grocery order form app is super simple to make and takes only a few minutes to complete. Follow the steps below to make your own grocery delivery app without coding!

  1. Log in to Appy Pie’s grocery app builder
  2. Give your online grocery delivery app a name. Customize the app layout and add your store logo to make it your own.

  3. Add the order form feature
  4. Drag and drop the order form feature into your app and click on the ‘Grocery’ option to create a customized grocery order form.

  5. Publish your grocery delivery app
  6. Test your app on a device, make suitable changes, and submit your app to the leading app stores with hands-on assistance from our customer service.

Now that you know how easy it is to create a grocery shopping app, it is time to take the first step.

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Abhinav Girdhar

Founder and CEO of Appy Pie

App Builder

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