An Interview with Anil Basnet – CEO of Metrotarkari.com

Technology has changed our lifestyle in every possible way. The way we used to do things a decade back is a lot more different than that now. Online shopping is one of them. There were days when we used to go to the shops to buy things, whereas now the shop is in our computers and cell phone instead. From gadget to clothes, we buy almost everything online. However, groceries and vegetables are something we hesitate to depend on these online sites. As the quality of these stuffs directly impact our health, we do not prefer to depend on the shopping sites.

With an aim to change people’s perspective about online grocery shopping, Metrotarkari.com has been established. It is an online grocery shopping site, which has been developed as a venture of Metro Vibes Pvt. Ltd. There are five co-founders involved in the website, they are, Anil Basnet, Humbal Shahi, Nitin Sharma, Ishwor Acharya, Naresh Khanal.

To know more about Metrotarkari.com and to get answers to various queries regarding its establishment, aim etc. we talked to Mr. Anil Basnet, Cofounder and CEO of Metrotarkari.com.

Q: What is metrotarkari.com about and its aim of establishing?

A: Metrotarkari is a one stop place to the need of fresh foods delivered to the customer with proper quality in the desired timeframe adding value to the foodstuff, supplying the best out of fresh items and mouth-watering organic products. It takes into amazing deal with farm fresh products at the client’s doorstep delivered free of cost. Metrotarkari consists of 3 USPs – Unique, uncomplicated, Practical. It is an extension of regular vegetable market place but in a unique and simplified way. The market is online and in front of the people’s computer with easiest possible interface which makes it uncomplicated. And most importantly, the concept is practical as it addresses one of the most required aspect, i.e. the requirement of vegetable in daily basis. When three things – uniqueness, simplicity and realistic nature integrates, Metrotarkari comes ahead.

Q: What was the main reason to create this application, and concerning on vegetables and groceries specifically?

 A: It’s an idea for running business in Nepal and following trendy business which is successfully running all over the world. Being an IT guy, I always thought to run my own IT Company, Established an IT Company Name Metro Vibes Pvt. Ltd with 3 core partners and explored new business in Nepal. Mean Time we found a gap between busy people and grocery shopping which can solve a problem with e-commerce portal. So Established a new venture metrotarkari.com on 25 Dec, 2012 and continuously taking orders online and delivering fresh items to their doorstep with free of cost.

Q: Why Vegetables and Groceries?

A: Especially people are wasting time on grocery shopping, even they do not have any other right option of shopping. So if we could give a better solution for this grocery shopping then people will surely buy online where they can save their TIME and MONEY.

Q: Which area are you providing a home delivery service currently?

A: Right Now we are delivering inside ring road of Kathmandu Valley and 3 km periphery of the ring road. But also we are giving our service to main area outside the ring road such as Bhaisepati, Hattiban, Budhanilkanta, Dhapasi and many other core areas.

Q: Since in our country online shopping is not that popular and especially with vegetables and fruits, people don’t prefer taking the risk. So what strategies do you apply to gain trust of the costumer?

A: Yes indeed people are not trendy of buying online specially vegetables and fruits, but we can see the trend of shopping is going to change day by day. We have good response and people buying online grocery. Quality and price with proper service us our USP. Metrotarkari consists of 3 USPs – Unique, uncomplicated, Practical. It is an extension of regular vegetable market place but in a unique and simplified way. The market is online and in front of the people’s computer with easiest possible interface which makes it uncomplicated. And most importantly, the concept is practical as it addresses one of the most required aspect, i.e. the requirement of vegetable in daily basis. When three things – uniqueness, simplicity and realistic nature integrates, Metrotarkari comes ahead.

Q: What are the challenges you have faced with this venture, what are the challenges still remaining?

A: Hummm, there are lots of challenges to startup companies in Nepal. We do have different business in Nepal and the main problem is logistic management due to unmanaged location in Kathmandu valley. Country’s unstable politics, crisis, economics and resources for doing business effect our business eco-system.

Q: What is your specific target audience of the product? DO you have any plans to endorse local Nepali products?

A: As we have been running this business for more than a year, we strongly find our presence on both the form of customers i.e. businesses and individuals. We have a strategy of both B2B (Business to Businesses) and B2C (Business to Customers) principle. Our key customers are office workers or busy schedule customers who want to purchase their grocery and vegetables online.

Q: How do you plan to take this application ahead in future?

A: Our vision is to start something worthy for both common people as well as business profit. Metrotarkari’s basic mission and vision is to grow the vegetable market in one hand and simplify the life of people by providing products at home without extra cost in other hands. And principally the foremost mission is to avoid the gap between the people and the products they need by and large i.e. vegetable and groceries. We first of all are establishing a startup that is shifting the process of shopping directly to the online transaction. For this our goal is to simplify the process and make it highly usable for consumers. We on the other hand have challenged and goal to establish a startup venture to a profitable business by consistently growing.

Trying new things is always interesting. MetroTarkari promises us to provide us quality products at reasonable price. Thus, in my opinion MetroTarkari is worth giving a try.