Dhania or coriander leaves became a hot topic of discussion on X this Wednesday after it was revealed that Zepto was selling 100g of "aromatic" coriander leaves for Rs 141 and the "local variety" for Rs 131 in Gurgaon. In a country where the cooking staple is either offered free by local vegetable vendors or is available within Rs 10, the price set by the grocery delivery app has shocked the internet.
It all started when X user Harsh Upadhyay shared a screenshot of the prices on his Zepto app.
The post soon went viral and curious shoppers began to share prices at which they bought the herb from various grocery delivery apps. One among them, Luffy (@luffyspeaking) shared that on Blinkit, 100g of coriander leaves are available for Rs 40. Delhi-based edtech entrepreneur Saurabh Jain (@skjsaurabh) said he bought the herb from Blinkit for "around Rs 50".
The posts triggered a discussion on why a common herb which is easily available in the market for Rs 10 is so extravagantly priced on shopping apps.
"The difference between normal and aromatic (Rs 10) is the actual cost," Upadhyay said.
"At this price, I’ll rather have dry fruits," wrote Globe Wanderer (@globe__wanderer). Another X user Rajat Agarwala (@RjtAg222) commented, "Now no one will give Dhaniya Free! Dhaniya demands full izzat (respect)."
"A few days back, Mom asked me to order dhaniya. Blinkit was showing 100g for Rs 30 while the market rate is around 10. Over that delivery charge of Rs 30 and a surge price of Rs 30 since it was peak hours. And Rs 5 handling charge. So, a Rs 10 item is being sold for Rs 95!" said dental surgeon Vrijilesh Rai (@ChaiBiskutBhai).
Many social media users, however, also pointed out that the price of coriander were nominal -- as low as Rs 15 -- on the same apps in other locations.
A few others also highlighted that Zepto charging Rs 141 for 100g of coriander is not appropriate for a company that is aiming to become bigger than DMart in two years.
"And they say it will become DMart in the next 12-18 months. Lol. There's a thin line between affordability and accessibility. Hopefully, they figure that out before they end up like Byju's," commented Byomkesh Bakshi @soleduniaath).
Zepto co-founder and CEO Aadit Palicha had said on July 6 that the company could surpass offline retail major DMart in sales in the next 18-24 months.
"DMart is a $30 billion company and they are only 4.5X our size in sales. If we continue to execute well, we will continue to grow 2-3X every year. And potentially surpass them in next 18-24 months which is an exceptionally well executed consumer company," he said.
'System glitch caused significant pricing disparities': Zepto
The company on Thursday stated that the issue with Upadhyay has been resolved and attributed the high price for coriander to a system glitch.
"Zepto, India's fastest-growing consumer internet company, is committed to addressing customer concerns promptly and transparently. Yesterday, a system glitch caused significant pricing disparities across our platform, leading to some unusual price tags for various products, including coriander. While some items were priced three times lower, others saw a substantial hike," it stated.
"We are pleased to inform our customers that the issue has been resolved, and accurate prices are now back on track. At Zepto, we’re dedicated to delivering the finest quality while striving to offer the best prices. Quality is never compromised, and we are committed to ensuring our customers receive only the best produce."
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