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Now, essentials on the doorstep

BHUBANESWAR: At a time when shopping malls are fast coming up in the State capital, the Orissa State Consumer Cooperative Federation (OSCCF), a loss-making government-run marketing extension, has coined an innovative concept to retain customer base.

OSCCF recently came up with the Bhanjaprava Door Delivery System (BDDS) to despatch essential commodities to designated places. And all it takes is a phone call or a drop of chit.

The federation under the State Cooperation Department was established four decades ago with an aim to procure commodities from the source point and sell those through district-level marketing centres. Following gradual lifting of subsidies on different goods, it became a loss-making wing.

Under the BDDS, the federation has targeted dozens of apartments in the city. “Our main target groups are small households. We have put up drop boxes inside apartments and requested the residents to use the facility,” Golak Prasad Mohapatra, Chairman of OSCCF, said. He said the federation listed 140 items, which could be delivered on the doorstep. “Very few know that essential commodities cost more in malls. After experiencing our service residents will stop visiting malls for small items,” Mr. Mohapatra said.

The OSCCF had conducted a survey before launching the service. It had targeted some 150 apartments in the city.

Since the launch of the service on Sunday, the federation claimed to have done a brisk business. In 14 apartments it could reach on Monday, the transaction level touched the Rs. 60,000 mark.

The OSCCF is now toying with more innovative ideas such as appointing customer care professionals for 24-hour service as well as starting SMS service to deliver commodities. “Under the SMS service, we give a code for a particular commodity and try to deliver at the source of origin. The modalities are being working out,” Mr. Mohapatra said.

The federation is expecting double benefits from the project. The employees, who had been jobless for quite some time, would be given new avenues.

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