Buy groceries on JioMart using WhatsApp, here's how to order

JioMart is the latest online service for you to order groceries. JioMart now has a dedicated WhatsApp business account (+91 88500 08000) using which you can place an order at your local kirana store that's partnered with JioMart. The service is currently only operational in Navi Mumbai, Thane and Kalyan. The new service comes barely a week after Facebook (which owns WhatsApp) announced that they were acquiring a 9.99 per cent stake in Reliance Jio. You aren't required to download a separate app or sideload an APK to order using this method.

How to order groceries on JioMart using WhatsApp

JioMart is partnered with kirana stores in Navi Mumbai, Thane and Kalyan as part of this initial pilot. So your choice of groceries is very limited at the moment. Moreover, you don't get to pick which store to order from if there are multiple stores in your vicinity. Here's a guide to order on JioMart using WhatsApp.

• Once again, you'll most probably be buying from the nearest kirana/grocery store so your choice of groceries will be quite limited during lockdown.
• Start off by saving the number +91 88500 08000 as JioMart on your phone.
• Once the new contact has been saved, open WhatsApp and look for JioMart. Tap on JioMart to start a new conversation. (Optional - If your contacts haven't synced, you might have to refresh your contacts within WhatsApp. To do that, tap on the new chat icon in the bottom right corner, in the next window tap on the three dots in the top right corner and tap on refresh.)
• Once you're in a conversation with JioMart in WhatsApp, send "Hi" as a message. Only "Hi" works at the moment, we've tried other text commands and they didn't work.
• JioMart will reply with an auto-generated message that has a link using which you can place your order. This link will only be valid for the next 30 minutes. If you run out of time you can generate a new link by sending another "Hi" message.

• Clicking on the link will open up the JioMart ordering page and you'll be prompted to enter your address, name and pick your location. The selection of items available is dependent on what your local kirana store has in stock.

• Click on Proceed and you will be shown a list of all items you can order. Once you are done making your selection, you can place your order. There is no confirmation window after this screen.
• Payment is to be made upon picking up your order.
• JioMart will confirm your order and you will receive a message from JioMart on WhatsApp with your order details in PDF format. This message will also have details of the store which will fulfil your order.

Orders placed via this method on JioMart will supposedly be delivered within the next two working days if your order was placed before 7 PM. As the lockdown restrictions are slowly withdrawn, we should see more stores and a better choice of items available for order.