“The COVID-19 outbreak has reshaped the consumer’s online shopping habits. This sudden upsurge will undoubtedly change the future of the grocery industry by driving a resurgence in grocery stores across the gulf countries.” — Debashish Mukherjee (Kearney’s retail leader )

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has witnessed a sudden spike in the sales of online grocery products. The driving force of the eGrocery industry growth is the COVID-19 pandemic. People stayed at home for a very long time to avoid the spread of the disease but now this ‘helplessness’ is turning into a ‘habit.’

Let’s see what the numbers depict:

Source: Statista

Now let’s peek into the grocery business models that the grocery companies are using in GCC:

Omni-Channel Model (Gourmet, Carrefour, and e-baqala)

Pure Play Model (Trolley.ae, Suncart, and The Grocery Shop)

Marketplace Model (elGrocer, Instashop, and Talabat)

Why to Start an eCommerce Business in Qatar?

Qatar is the wealthiest country in the world! No wonder why they have the best airlines and how they are building 9 new stadiums for the 2022 FIFA WorldCup.

Here are the 5 reasons why is it great to start an eCommerce business in Qatar:

  • Qatar is undoubtedly one of the largest markets in the MENA region.
  • The average e-purchase by a Qatari citizen is 260 $.
  • Qatar government understands the importance of eCommerce. They provide many facilities to the entrepreneurs in a more automated, safer and flexible way.
  • eCommerce has a very important role to play in Qatar Vision 2030.
  • The e-commerce market in Qatar is expected to grow from QR 4.7 billion ($1.3 billion) to QR 12 billion ($3.2billion) by 2022.

Impact of COVID-19 on eGrocery in Qatar

According to recently published reports by the Gulf Times, the grocery retail has seen a spike in demand amid the Coronavirus pandemic. To fulfil this increase in demand, grocery retailers have introduced grocery delivery apps.

Getit, Beelivery, Jeebline are some prominent players jostling to create space for themselves in Qatar’s fast-growing eCommerce grocery market in this pandemic situation. Whereas Suncart and QFresh Online are already leading the eGrocery industry in the region. Let’s get a brief insight into these two companies,

Suncart is a leading grocery delivery company in Qatar that allows users to order a wide variety of groceries through its android and iOS apps.

QFresh Online is an online seafood store that offers fish, meat, veggies, and other food items to the people residing in Qatar. Shoppers can place orders from their website or mobile app available on the play store.

Wrap Up

With a high-income population, strong IT infrastructure, and a high level of smartphone penetration, online buying is set to grow exponentially in Qatar. The country’s grocery market is expected to witness rapid growth in the coming years.

If you are an aspiring entrepreneur looking for opportunities to invest in a booming industry in Qatar, an online grocery marketplace is the best business idea you can go for. Find a perfect grocery eCommerce solution and start a profitable business!

Originally published at https://medium.com/growcer-ecommerce-grocery-software/start-an-online-grocery-business-in-qatar-b31d1528b600