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While shopping for groceries online has become a norm, some Bengalureans are slowly going back to shopping the old-fashioned way. Metrolife finds out why.
Zainab Zaheer, student
When the pandemic hit last year, Zainab Zaheer would buy home items in bulk to avoid stepping outside every time. But now that she is fully vaccinated, she is making more trips to stores and stocking lesser.
“The sight of people at grocery shops kind of calms me down. It gives me hope that everything will be back to normal,” says the 27-year-old. Not to forget, you get “more deals” while shopping in person, she adds.
She hasn’t given up online shopping though. “I use that when the service tax or delivery charge is not too high. Or, when the weather isn’t fit to step out,” she explains.
Shahid Ahmed, computer engineer
Much like Zainab, Shahid Ahmed likes to go grocery shopping. “It’s more satisfying to pick vegetables on your own,” he explains. Like her, his anxiety about offline shopping has gone down post vaccination. Plus he wears gloves, puts on two masks and carries a hand sanitiser when he is out to buy essentials.
SN Veena, homemaker
According to reports, many people are experiencing anxiety while stepping out in crowded areas and markets after such long periods of isolation. SN Veena is not among them. She says she is following the Covid-appropriate behaviour to a tee and so are a lot of people who come shopping, so there is not much to fret over. “Shopping in person allows me to look for quality products,” she says.