Picked, packed & delivered — Ordering veggies, fruits online

The IT wave, which transformed the pensioner’s paradise, is making its presence felt in the world of mundane bhaji shopping too. Online shopping has now taken to challenge the bhajjiwalas with many a websites offering online mandai, wherein you can order veggies and fruits at the click of a mouse or via a call centre or SMS service and get them home delivered. We ordered veggies from these websites to give you a true picture of their service and here is how they stood the test.

www.greentokri.com
If you are heath conscious and live on salads most of the time, then greentokri.com is a boon for you. You don’t need to go hunting for fresh salad to Mandai or Shivaji Market as the portal is quite popular in the city for home delivery of fresh and crispy salad. Greentokri has been doing home delivery of fresh salads, herbs and delicacies for the past two years. You can order a variety of salads such as cut salad leaves or exotic veggies like coloured capsicum, cherry tomatoes, Swiss Chard, Portabella mushrooms or aromatic herbs like thyme, rosemary, sage, marjoram, oregano or herbs such as basil, parsley, rucola, garlic chives, lemon grass.

Along with farm fresh vegetables, Greentokri offers a wide variety of dressings such as red chilli dressing, fresh herb dressing, mustard and yummy pestos like sun-dried tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes in oil, sun-dried tomato pesto, basil pesto and pickled jalapenos among others.

Padamaja Dave, marketing and sales manager, says, “Every week, we send an email and an SMS with the list of salad leaves, herbs, vegetables and fruits for the week with prices and offers. Customers can place their order by replying to the email or SMS and the order is delivered on their doorstep on depending upon the area. One can even order the entire week’s supply.” Greentokri provides home delivery only once in a week according to the area.
Our verdict: Though the delivery was a little late, the salads and fruits were very fresh and their pestos were delicious. They also offer freebies every week.
Price: Reasonable for exotic vegetables and salads
Rating: 8

www.puneveggie.com
Started merely a year ago, puneveggie.com provides home delivery of veggies only for Aundh and areas around such as Pimple Saudagar and Kalewadi. After placing the order online, one has to select the delivery time. There are three slots for home delivery 11 am, 6.30 pm and 8.30 pm. If you need a urgent delivery, you have to inform it while ordering. Along with cash,  Sodexo coupons are also accepted.

Prem Saurav, partner of puneveggie.com says, “We usually send delivery boys to only those areas which they know properly. Otherwise it becomes difficult for them to deliver veggies on time. We are planning to expand their home delivery services to Wakad and Aundh by March-end.”
Our verdict: As the delivery is made only in Aundh and the adjoining areas, the service is limited.
Price: Not applicable
Rating: Not rated (The website only delivers in Aundh)

www.greenofresh.com
It was started two to three months ago by Greenovation projects. You can place your order either online or via the call centre. One has to make an order of minimum Rs100. With an office on Senpati Bapat Road and distribution centre at Pimple Nilakh, one has to place an order before mid-night to avail of fresh veggies the next day between 10 am and 1 pm.

Sanjay Shadade, director of Greenovation projects which runs the website, says “We pick up the fresh produce from the farm. We see to it that the vegetables reach the customers within 24 hours. Our purpose is to deliver fresh produce. We don’t hike the prices and provide the veggies and fruits in the same retail prices which are in the market.”
Our verdict: When we called and ordered the vegetables and fruits, we got the order on time (1 pm) and though the veggies were very fresh, the fruits were not so fresh.
Price: The rates of the vegetables match up with the market rates.
Ratings: 6.5

www.punemandai.com
The website is active from the last two years and provides fruits, vegetables, exotic vegetables in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. They have started the home delivery service on trial basis in Sahakarnagar. They have a client base of 3,000 and receive 300 to 500 orders every day. Before placing the order, one has to register online and recharge your prepaid account with minimum Rs500. Later whenever you order you have to order veggies of minimum Rs40. One has to place the order before 10 am either online or over the phone to get the delivery the same day evening between 5 and 9 pm. But if you order the veggies after 10 am like we did, then you will get the delivery only the next day evening.

Sachin Junankar, owner of punemandai.com says, “If you order before 10 am, we can purchase it from the farmers at Market Yard, sort it out and distribute and pack it from the vendors and deliver it to the customers in the evening. The advantages of ordering from our website you get to choose from 50 to 60 types of veggies, you can order minimum 250 gm and if you are not satisfied with your order, we replace it. Also in the market the rate of the vegetables fluctuates every day. But even though the market rates are increased, since we buy the veggies from farms, we don’t increase the rates.”
Our verdict: As we ordered the vegetables after 10 am, they were delivered the next day evening. But the veggies were fresh and service was good.
Price: The rates of the vegetables and fruits are more or less same with the market rates.
Ratings: 7