JioMart Gets Dedicated WhatsApp Number, Customers in Mumbai Can Now Start Ordering Essentials from Kiranas

JioMart, just three days after Reliance Retail Limited and WhatsApp entered into a commercial partnership agreement, has got a dedicated WhatsApp number. Residents of Navi-Mumbai, Thane and Kalyan can now use the WhatsApp number and to place their orders at a JioMart Kirana which is at a location nearest to them. This development was first spotted by LiveMint.

All customers need to do is save JioMart’s WhatsApp business account number 8850008000 on their mobile phones, and then send a “Hi” to the number. A link, which is valid for only 30 minutes, is then generated and sent to the customers. Suppose the link expires, customers will again need to send a Hi to generate a fresh link.

After clicking on the link, customers are redirected to a portal wherein they would need to enter details such as mobile number, name, house number, society name and then select area and locality. Customers at areas such as Dombivili east, west, Kalyan, Kopar, Palava, Taloja, Thakurli, Ambivali, Titawali Airoli, and so on can opt for the company's WhatsApp order service.

Once the details are filled, customers can then opt for WhatsApp alerts and proceed to order essential items. JioMart says that orders placed by 5 PM everyday would likely to be available for pick-up at the customer’s nearest Kirana within 48 hours.

Due to the lockdown, customers as of now can only order essential items. The JioMart website mentions that there will be 50,000 grocery products and free home delivery available presumably once the lockdown ends.

JioMart aims to empower the local Kirana stores by following an online-to-offline model. “WhatsApp already plays an important role in helping people and businesses connect in India. Reliance Retail’s New Commerce platform, JioMart, is being built in partnership with millions of small merchants and Kirana shops to empower them to better serve the needs of Indian consumers. The companies will work closely to ensure that consumers are able to access the nearest Kiranas who can provide products and services to their homes by transacting seamlessly with JioMart using WhatsApp,” said Reliance Jio.

Although JioMart is currently only available in Mumbai, it is expected to gradually expand to other cities as well. According to industry estimates, the target audience that JioMart aims to reach through WhatsApp is likely to be around 60 million small businesses across the country.