Big Bazaar aims to double online sales contribution, helped by express home delivery service

Future Group's retail chain Big Bazaar, which is now competing with leading e-retailers in 'two-hour express home delivery service' segment, is aiming to double its sales contribution from online business within a month's time. The company has announced "click-to-home" online shopping festival, the "Home Delivery Sale" and is extending the two-hour home delivery service, started last month to all stores, said a company official.

In certain markets, Big Bazaar is already getting around 40 per cent of its sale order online, said Future Group CMO - Digital, Ecommerce and marketing Pawan Sarda.

The two-hour home delivery service has also got an encouraging response from customers amidst the sharp rise in pandemic cases and travel restrictions imposed by several state governments to break the chain of the COVID-19 infection.

"Home delivery service has surely picked up. In metros like Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, 10-15 per cent business is coming from Home delivery and its growing," Sarda told .

Big Bazaar has now extended its two-hour home delivery service to 150 cities.

"We have a presence across India, where as in certain cities, we have 30-40 per cent of orders coming through online," he said.

When asked about the expectations he said: "We will be doubling our online business in a month. Our aim is to reach one lakh online orders per day."

Now, people avoid crowding at stores and Big Bazaar is reaching to customers, with its available assortments at their doorsteps, Sarda added.

"We believe in being with customers. If customers can not come to the store, then the store would come to them," he added.

Big Bazaar had started taking orders online last year after the pandemic started.

Presently e-tailers like Amazon, Big Basket are providing express delivery in select areas. Swiggy is also providing a two-hour grocery delivery service in over 125 cities in India during this pandemic.

Big Bazaar, under its first online shopping festival, which started from May 1 to May 9, will provide free home delivery, cashback and offers on product.

In several places, the state governments announced restrictions and only essential items are being allowed to be delivered by e-tailers.

"We would be following the rules and regulations defined by various state governments. Where only essentials are allowed, we would deliver only that," he said adding "the stores will sell only the allowed essentials defined by the government authorities".

Big Bazaar had held its annual sale event "Sabse Sasta Din" on January 26.

Future Retail, the parent firm which owns several retail formats including Big Bazaar, is facing financial trouble.

Last month, lenders of the Future Retail had approved debt recast plan that offered easier repayment options.

The promoters of the Kishore Biyani led group had in August last year entered into a Rs 24,713 crore deal with Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd, part of Realiance Industries Ltd, to sell it retail, wholesales, warehousing and logistics business.

The deal is contested by the e-Commerce major Amazon, which had invested in Future Coupons in August 2019 with an option of buying into the flagship Future Retail after a period of three to 10 years.

Amazon has challenged, the scheme of arrangement entails the consolidation of Future Group's retail and wholesale assets into one entity Future Enterprises Ltd and then transferring it to RRVL, at several forums including arbitration at SIAC and before the Supreme Court of India.

It has already received clearance from CCI, SEBI and bourses, and the scheme of arrangement is now awaiting the nod from NCLT and shareholders.

Reliance Retail has also extended the timeline for the deal to be completed by six months to September 30, 2021.