In India, grocery shopping through Facebook

We’ve featured several services in the past few months that offer coordinated online shopping from small, local grocers, but recently we came across an offering in India that’s a little different. What makes AaramShop particularly interesting, in fact, is its Facebook application, which lets consumers shop through its service on Facebook as well. Now in beta, AaramShop offers neighborhood retailers a free online storefront on its multivendor site. Consumers use the service by shopping online for groceries and then selecting the participating retailer they prefer in their area; currently, New Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida are the three areas covered by the service. Shopping can be done on the AaramShop site directly or through its Facebook application. Either way, once the consumer’s shopping is complete, the order is instantly transmitted to the selected retailer, who is responsible for making prompt delivery. Consumers only pay the retailer once delivery is made. Using AaramShop is free for both consumers and retailers. The benefits of a bigger, coordinated online presence are clear for small, local retailers who may otherwise be drowned out by larger competitors online. For time-strapped consumers, meanwhile, shopping capabilities not just online but through Facebook offer an extra measure of convenience. One to emulate in a market near you?