Bengaluru now has a new clean and green online grocery store. Wildermart, a plant-based e-commerce startup that launched in the city on April 22 (International Earth Day), is slowly gaining popularity among city folks.
Co-founders Shweta Thakur and Swaroop Mohan started the company with the aim to be truly sustainable and offer conscious solutions to make everyday consumption in the city clean, green and earth-friendly.
“We were essentially just a bunch of consumers trying to figure how we could consume more sustainably and mindfully. For the last seven years, I’ve been on a journey of reducing my environmental footprint and also turned vegan about four years ago. But it wasn’t easy to maintain this lifestyle in the city as it was very time consuming and tedious to scramble different products and produce from various online and offline stores,” says Shweta. Through Wildermart, they wanted to create a one-stop-shop for all things clean, while encouraging mindful consumption.
The startup sticks by mindful sourcing guidelines, with checks and balances in place to ensure only clean and sustainable products are sold on the platform. They use electronic vehicles to deliver orders and stick to plastic-free packaging as much as possible.
As the startup was launched right at the cusp of a lockdown in the city, they had to face some challenges initially. “Like the rest of India, we didn’t see the second wave hitting us this hard. We did face some issues like trying to get an essential pass for delivery, plus our marketing campaigns were put on hold. But we believe everything happens for a reason," Shweta tells Metrolife. With the major players in the grocery’s delivery market jampacked with a heavy load, having trouble functioning properly, they have been able to step in and provide same-day delivery across the city. "We are happy to provide people with their necessities in these tough times,” she adds.
Wildermart has also teamed up with ‘Repurpose Global’ an initiative that provides you with “plastic credit” for every registration. When you register on the Wildermart website instead of getting the usual Rs 100 off coupon you get plastic credits through which Repurpose Global takes the initiative of cleaning 1 kg of plastic from rivers, oceans and landfills on your behalf for your credits.
“The response from the city so far has been great. There is a huge market for plant-based products like milk and meat alternatives in Bengaluru, which is growing exponentially as more and more people are showing an in sustainable and clean living,” says Shweta.