New Delhi: The Covid-19 pandemic has brought a significant change in the way people perceive leading a healthy lifestyle. Indians are now more obsessed with having high-quality organic food, including fruits and vegetables, on their plates. However, the increased demand for these items has resulted in the compromise of the quality of products reaching people’s kitchens.
Anant Goel, the former CEO of Milkbasket and an experienced professional in this segment, has come up with a solution to address this issue. His new venture, Sorted, is an omnichannel platform for fruits and vegetables that promises to deliver fresh and quality products to every Indian household.
Goel has spent 8-9 months developing a model that he believes is the best to resolve the issues plaguing the fruits and vegetables segment. Sorted has partnered with mom-and-pop shops, each catering to 50-100 families in their vicinity, to directly procure quality fruits and vegetables from farmers and deliver the product to their partner stores within a few hours.
The startup’s partnership with these small stores has helped to cut out the middleman and strengthen consumer trust. Sorted guarantees the source and quality of the produce, which has been a significant challenge in the F&V market. Goel claims that Sorted helps mom-and-pop shops save up to INR 10,000 a month when it comes to sourcing the produce.
Apart from solving the sourcing challenge for small stores, Sorted also aims to address the challenge of convenience and quality for consumers. The startup is giving consumers a choice and consistently delivering good quality produce daily. Goel’s vision is to reduce wastage in the fruits and vegetables industry.
The F&V market has always been marred by challenges like physical contaminants, efficient transportation and storage facilities to keep the produce fresh, among others. The entry of online players has further complicated the nuances of driving the fruits and vegetables segment effectively.
Goel recognizes that there is a wide gap between what people want on their plates and what they are being served. Online players such as BigBasket and Milkbasket are selling fruits and vegetables online, but people are unhappy with the quality of the products that they sell. Sorted aims to solve the issue of individual choices, which is very different from FMCG or other consumer goods sectors.
In conclusion, Sorted’s partnership with small mom-and-pop shops has been a game-changer in the F&V market. The startup’s model promises to deliver fresh and quality produce directly from farmers to small stores and, ultimately, to every Indian household. By doing so, Sorted is addressing the sourcing challenge for small stores, reducing wastage in the industry and delivering good quality products to consumers consistently.
