Online grocery and daily essential store Ekstop raises angel funding

The company plans to have presence in Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata in the next six months.

Mumbai-based Ekstop, an online shopping store which deals in grocery and daily essentials, has raised undisclosed angel funding from some angel investors. The investors include Jayesh Parekh (co-founder of Sony Entertainment Television), Deepak Shahdadpuri (head of Beacon India Private Equity Fund), Patrick Turner (he runs the entrepreneurship department at INSEAD), Jungle Ventures, Sanjay Kamlani (co-CEO of Pangea3), and some senior Google and McKinsey executives.

Right now operational only in Mumbai, the online store sells a varied range of products including groceries, beverages, snacks, health foods, cleaning supplies, electrical equipment, detergents, soaps, shampoos, hair care, dental care, cosmetics, baby products, stationery and healthcare products. A portion of the money will also go into marketing, customer acquisition and for developing technology. Ekstop also plans to set shop in Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata in the next six months.

Talking exclusively to VCCircle, Ekstop co-founder & ceo Sumat Chopra said, “We are operational since the last one month and saw 80 percent of our customers returning to use our service at least once a week."

Talking about how different Ekstop is from other offline stores, Chopra said, "We provide our customers great professional service and ease of use that would otherwise require the customers to wait in long messy checkout queues, carry heavy bags, and waste petrol and weekend entertainment time shopping for grocery in malls."

The online store also offers a fast delivery service called Super EkSpress, which delivers products in 1-4 hours. Customers would also be able to make order on phone. “Our USP is we are adding the deals, discounts and prices of the supermarkets along with the kirana store quick-delivery model,” he said.

Currently, Ekstop is a team of 30 and it intends increase the headcount to 200 in two to three months. Handling a range of over 3,000 stock keeping units (SKUs), Ekstop has partnered with over 500 brands. Its average basket size is Rs 1,300-1,400 and intends to do 300-400 orders a day in two months. In Mumbai alone it will aim to have 4-6 warehouses. The company plans to have four warehouses in other cities where it would start operations.

Ekstop, started by Sumat Chopra and Shaurya Mehta in May 2011, went live only last month. An alumnus of INSEAD business school and Carnegie Mellon University Chopra, has previously worked with Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Microsoft Corporation, and Tata Capital.

Mehta (co-founder & COO), who is also from INSEAD and associated with University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has formerly worked with Deloitte and GE Healthcare.

Ekstop will devote 5-10 per cent of its total budget in marketing. Chopra said, “We will have both localised marketing efforts in neighbourhoods, local coffee shops and malls. Other than this, we will also use Facebook and Radio as a strong mass driver. We might go the print way soon, but will avoid using the TV medium.”

The platform has features such as Search by List which enables customers to search for their entire shopping list in one click, SMS integration by which customers get notified when the order is 30 minutes to an hour away and My Lists, which allows the customer to re-order items from their previous orders in once click.

Ekstop follows several other online grocery stores such as BigBasket, funded by private equity fund Ascent Capital, and Mygrahak, to name a few.

Article Source: http://www.vccircle.com/news

Brown Rice

Despite of widespread popularity of rice, not much health related information regarding rice is available. This is actually true that brown rice have better nutritional value as compared to white rice. Now the question is “ what is brown rice and how it is different from white”? from the technical point of view there is very little difference between the brown and white, as brown rice is unpolished and the white rice is polished. The process of polishing removes the outer brown layer on the top of the seed which is rich in fiber content . brown rice also contain nutrients like b vitamins, manganese, selenium and iron.

Benefits of brown rice-

It reduces the possibilities of heart diseases, helps avoid abrupt spikes in sugar levels

Helps in digestion and constipation.

It also control cholesterol level and blood pressure.

Suggestions for eating brown rice-

If you have never eaten brown rice before and would like to make a start, a good idea would be to mix one portion of white rice and one portion of brown rice when cooking. Gradually reduce the proportion of white rice and allow the brown rice to be the major portion in your rice consumption. You will soon start liking the full, rich nut like flavour and texture of brown rice. Continue with your brown rice diet and if you ever try white rice again, you will immediately feel that it has a bland and starchy flavour that does not impress you. Few people change back to eating white rice after having eaten brown rice for a couple of months.

Make sure that you see the packing date on when you buy brown rice. You should ideally consume the brown rice within 3 to 4 months from the packing date. Refrigerating it in a tightly sealed plastic bag can increase the shelf life to around 5 to 6 months. Storing brown rice beyond this period gives the rice a stale rancid flavour.

Indian Sweets And Snacks

Namkeens, as a category comes under snack market. This market includes namkeens, biscuits, chocolates and other snacks. No household would like to have tea without snacks, and if you would like to have something salty, how about Lehar Namkeen! Lehar Namkeen was launched almost 15 years back with innovation small packs and traditional flavors. Later in 2006 when it was re-launched it came with a plank ‘taste jayada kyunki oil taza’. You might surely have heard hundred times “kya karein control hi nahi hota” the tagline of Lehar Namkeen on Television advertisement and have definitely added some spice to your tea time with this crunchy namkeen. As it has promised to provide great taste, high quality and fresh, Lehar Namkeen is undoubtedly preferred by lot many people. For the first time Lehar gave consumers the option of snacking namkeens on the go.

Leher Namkeen Initially though Lehar launched two variants but aimed to spread the underlying message “chota pack, badi range”. Customers tend to associate themselves with aloo bhujia as this was the first product launched by Lehar. However as of now Lehar has a wide huge variety of namkeens. As Online shopping has made shopping more convenient and comfortable. You get the things in discounted rates with many added offers. Household products and other fast moving consumer goods are already available online. Now the snacks too are added into the list. Now your favorite Lehar Namkeen is available online. You do not have to even step out to from your comfortable zone to look for it in the shops when you crave for the tasty Lehar Namkeen, you can only log on to your computer and place an order your Lehar Namkeen online. The best thing about Lehar Namkeen is that not only it adds zing to your tea time but can be consumed anywhere, anytime. In the market though, Namkeen consumption alone constitutes roughly 2.8 lakh tonne per annum. Of this, the branded namkeens market makes up a mere 25,000 tonne. Haldiram’s controls about half of this market.


Lehar is at No 2, while regional players account for whatever is left. By launching new variants such as mast masala and Tomato chilli Lehar has already captivated the hearts of its customers. Phenomenally successful Kurkure is another variant. Also for its packaging innovations in terms of hygiene, eye-catchiness and sizes, Lehar has already a trademark.
Lehar’s logic too is watertight. Unlike potato chips, namkeens have generally been associated with the family unit, not as a snack meant for individuals. And in the absence of small, easily disposable pack sizes, namkeens never really appealed to a lone consumer looking for a snack. If you bought a big packet of chips, you are likely to finish the whole lot but this is not the case in namkeens. Thus the ‘chota’ pack came into picture. Lehar was the first to get into small pack sizes of 35 gm. easily available and low price. Moreover you can choose your flavors and relish yourself. Lehar Namkeen is available in many tastes from aloo bhujia “Ab Lehar Aloo Bhujia, Mast Masala aur Tomato Chilli flavour mein.” to moong daal. ‘Thoda metha thoda Chatapata’ you can also have Lehar Kurkure. Sale! Sale! Sale! Online sale for Lehar Namkeen again gives you wide choices in comparatively low prices. So now whenever you yearn for namkeens, go for Lehar Namkeen.

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How You Can Save on Grocery Store Home Delivery

Shopping for groceries online and having them delivered is one way to save on precious time and escape the supermarket's long lines. Sure, buying stuff at online stores is not always the cheapest way to go, but many believe the convenience afforded by Internet shopping makes the extra dollars worth it. While Internet shopping can get pretty expensive, it does not have to be. You just need to apply a few of the same lessons you learned from shopping for groceries the old-fashioned way.

Grocery Home Delivery-Related Money-Saving Ideas

Grocery store home deliveries are a great time saver for people who seldom can spare time to visit the local shops. Having the items delivered to your doorstep frees you to do other stuff. Apart from saving you time, doing grocery shopping online can also help you save a ton of money too. Here is how you do it:

· Keep it simple - When visiting online grocery stores, limit purchases to what are on sale. Like most neighborhood stores, most Internet stores offer weekly specials and deals you can avail of to cut down grocery costs.

· Opt for store brands - Majority of store brands are made in the same establishment or facility and feature the same formulas as the name-brand commodities. They only differ in the packaging and price. Store brand products are usually not that different from consumers' name-brand favorites. When shopping for groceries online, you can save by getting the pricey competitors' generic versions.

· Free shipping is good - Avail of free shipping. A number of online grocery stores provide reduced or free shipping for customer orders in excess of Rs. 50.

· Use online discount codes - The Net is a source of a variety of coupons. Different sites offer printable grocery coupons and promotional codes. Many web stores also provide home delivery coupons. Safeway and Vons are just some of the companies that serve up a wide range of grocery delivery discounts.Grocery coupons change from one store to another and have expiry dates. Coupons need to be redeemed prior to their expiration. People can also sign up with grocery store savings organizations or clubs. The sources and directories for getting grocery coupons are found listed on the Net.

· Be preferred customers - Most cyber grocery stores let customers take advantage of deals online by giving them virtual favored or preferred customer discount cards. These cards work as they would in traditional stores. Customers use them to drive down the price of a few favorite grocery items.

· Get in bulk - Stocking up at favorite stores offering discounts on bulk orders is a good idea. If you have adequate room for storing groceries and as long as these belong to the non-perishables, you are looking at saving a good amount of money when you buy in bulk.

People these days are always on the lookout for deals and bargains. Storefront outlets are not the only places anymore where you can realize huge savings. There is money to be saved from grocery home deliveries. As with any type of shopping, comparing prices is still the best way to land the most affordable goodies so do compare before making a purchase.

During these tough times, you need to be able to save on your groceries. So for food and drink savings and other grocery discounts, check out the merchants featured at mygrahak.com.

Benefits of Online Shopping

When it comes to shopping, more and more of us are letting our fingers (and our mice) do the walking.
Here are seven reasons it makes sense to shop online:

1. Lower prices. Online shopping can reduce overhead costs in a variety of ways, which can translate to lower prices for you. In fact, one 2004 study found online prices to be 6 to 16 percent lower than offline prices.



2. More savings with online coupons. Many times, shoppers can save even further with an online coupon or coupon code. According to a 2005 Bizrate/Shopzilla report, 71 percent of online shoppers said they were able to find better discount offers and sales online, as compared to shopping through a catalog or traditional retail merchant. Online retailers may issue a button or text link that will apply an automatic savings to your order, or they may issue a specific coupon code to be entered at checkout.



3. Research capabilities. The Internet allows you to easily compare products and prices, so you can be sure that the item you purchase is the exact item you want. Online merchants can publish much more information about their product on a website than they could affordably publish in a print catalog. And online stores give you the ability to share information and reviews with other shoppers who have firsthand experience with a product or retailer. As Internet connection speeds continue to increase for larger segments of the population, these types of interactive features will become even more important. Zappos.com, a leading shoe retailer, for example, allows you to view most shoes from as many as eight different angles, including a close up.



4. Increased selection. Warehousing logistics can be much simpler for an online retailer, and many of the online superstores have a staggering inventory to choose from. Plus, as a consumer, you can avoid the inconvenience of physically traveling among online stores to comparison shop. A simple online search can lead you to the right product at the right price, fast.



5. Convenience. An online store allows you to shop 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So you can shop at your leisure, regardless of your time zone. This is particularly important for those of us who are limited in our ability to get to a brick and mortar store. The elderly, as well as parents of young children, for example, may have a more relaxed shopping experience in front of the computer screen.



6. Saves time. So much of the vast variety of products and product information is easily searchable. Plus, there is no traveling, parking, and walking involved.



7. Environmental Benefits. Recent studies are showing that shopping online leads to reduced fuel consumption and air pollution, because so much of our car travel is dedicated to shopping. Plus, shopping online reduces the need for print catalogs and excess packaging. And downloadable items purchased online eliminate the need for any kind of material goods at all.

India has also started shopping heavily on online stores. Thanks to the stores like MyGrahak.com which are coming up with exciting services and enticing products range to make online shopping a rage.

How Cash on Delivery Became Key Advantage for Online Stores

eCommerce has changed the way people shop for products and services and the manner in which a business sells its services to the customers. Shopping from an online store is no longer restricted to a few elites and techno savvy people, as more and more customers are realizing the benefits of online shopping. From books to electronic gadgets, garments to food items, customers can purchase anything under the sun from the comfort of their homes and offices. eCommerce is already more than a 500 billion dollar industry in the global market and is expected to triple in the next few years.

However, this new revolution also gave birth to scam stars and fake businesses that have cheated customers using the online platform. Thus, for some customers a trust deficit was created, which prevented them from shopping online. All this changed with the ‘Cash on Delivery’ or CoD, where a customer paid upon receipt of the product or the service. It revolutionized eCommerce and increased sales for the businesses by many folds. Both the customers and the businesses have been benefited immensely from this concept.

Advantages of Cash on Delivery

Trust Factor – Some customers have always been wary about paying for a product of service without actually getting in then and there. The fact that many customers fell victims to online scams worsened the situation. The Cash on Delivery concept allows the customers to make the payment only when the product or the services is delivered to them. This increases the trust factor between the customers and the businesses resulting in more sales and revenue for the online store. The entire transaction remains transparent between both the parties under this model. This also allows the eCommerce stores to lock horns on the traditional Brick and Mortar stores in a more effective manner.

Easier Transaction Model – Most online stores depended on Credit Cards, PayPal and Internet Banking for payments and transitions. Serving customers using these payment methods was easy in the developed countries, but in developing countries, many customers didn’t have access to any electronic means of payment. Cash on Delivery has brought this category of customers into the purview of eCommerce. Thus, increasing the market size and penetration for the online stores substantially.

Quality Improvement – The customers pay only when they receive the product and are satisfied with its quality. They have the right to refuse poor quality products. This has ensured that online stores need to sell high quality products to the customers resulting in better quality and customer satisfaction. This ensured that only professionally managed online stores would succeed in the market, thus creating a healthy competition between them. Cash on Delivery has written an obituary for the fake eCommerce stores.

Legal Aid – Unless a customer has paid for a product he/she doesn’t have the legal right over it. This works to the advantage of the online store as this keeps them at bay from legal responsibility over late delivery of the product or no delivery due to unavoidable circumstances. In case, an online store fails to deliver a product it can ask customers for an alternative product of their choice without having to worry about any monetary compensation or legal hassles.

In short, Cash on Delivery has changed the dynamics of the eCommerce industry and helped online stores in penetrating deep into the market. It has empowered the customer which has in turn led to the growth of the industry. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the eCommerce industry wouldn’t have gained so much success in such a short period without the ‘Cash on Delivery’ model.