In our day-to-day lives, grocery essentials have become significant purchases to fulfil livelihood. The ingredients found at the grocery store are affordable when compared to the supermarkets & luxury malls. It’s also one of the major business fields, and in India, you’ll see a grocery store in every lane because everyone has to purchase groceries daily for cooking meals for breakfast, lunch, snacks & dinner. However, if you’re new to the city, have just shifted there for studies or work then you might not have an idea as to where the nearest grocery store is around your area. We understand how difficult it gets to wander on the road to find a grocery store and that’s the reason we have curated this comprehensive guide on how to navigate to the closest grocery store in a few minutes either by walking, cycling or any other mode of transportation.

Use Google Maps On Your Phone (Android or iOS)

Google Maps is a go-to app for the people living in today’s generation. It tells accurate directions & also shares details about traffic congestion, bad routes, shortcuts etc. Using Google Maps (online or offline), you can easily navigate to the closest grocery store and get your daily, weekly or monthly grocery essentials in one go. Here’s a short guide on how you should use this app. Also, if there’s any technical glitch & you’re unable to use maps then do update it from the Play Store or App Store.

• Step 1: Firstly, you have to open the Google Maps app on your smartphone
• Step 2: Enter your address or the locality name in the Seach bar
• Step 3: Navigate in the downward direction. Tap on the ‘More’ option just right to the Shopping icon
• Step 4: Scroll down and select the ‘Groceries’ option from the Shopping category. A list of the nearby grocery stores will pop up on your mobile screen with three options, i.e., Call, Directions & Share.
• Step 5: For better clarity, you can contact the shop owner directly by tapping on the ‘Call’ option. They will guide you with the right direction to reach their grocery store

Try Still Open Website

Still Open is a simple & easy-to-use website that can be used to navigate to the closest grocery store in your neighbourhood. To get the appropriate details, follow the steps mentioned below and get your daily essentials from the grocery store in no time.

• Step 1: Open the Still Open website on your PC or tablet
• Step 2: Permit the website to fetch your geographical location automatically
• Step 3: In ‘Find a service, type Grocery Store
• Step 4: The website will display the details of all the grocery stores near you

Follow Major Landmarks

Big-sized billboards or supermarket buildings serve as important landmarks in metropolitan cities. You can find a local grocery store if you plan your steps properly by following these landmarks. Enter your locality landmark in the ‘Search’ option of Google Maps and then find the nearest grocery store. In case you’re lost and unable to find one, then seek local people’s help or look for big street signs which display grocery items.

Seek Siri’s Assistance (For iOS users)

Siri is asserted as the best friend of iOS users. It answers all types of queries and assists in the best manner. If you’re an iOS user then locating a grocery store with Siri’s help is easy. All you have to do is activate Siri on your device. This can be done by simply saying “Hey Siri” or either by holding the Home button in the downward direction. You can tell Siri : Show Grocery Store Near Me & it’ll demonstrate the grocery stores in that area. Once you choose which grocery store you want to visit you can also ask Siri to help you with directions on how to reach that store.

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Opt For Google Voice Search

By simply giving a command like: ‘Ok Google, Show grocery stores near me” to Google Voice Search you can get the information about the grocery store in your area. However to find the closest grocery through voice search you need to use Google maps too.

• Go to ‘Google Maps’ and type ‘Closest Grocery Store’ in the search bar
• Now, you’ve to choose the grocery from where you want to purchase grocery
• Choose the ‘Navigate’ option via menu
• Go ahead with the shown route on google maps to reach the grocery store

Reach Grocery Store Via Waze

Waze is a free GPS navigation & transport app which provides real-time traffic updates to it’s users. It has also embedded a virtual entertainment facility which is truly amazing. Through Waze, you can also get updates about terrible traffic routes, bad roads etc and plan your travel safely in advance. Waze also offers customization feature where you can personalise maps & icons of your choice. Just like other methods, reaching out to a grocery store through Waze is also convenient. Follow the steps mentioned below to reach grocery store via Waze:

• Step 1: Tap on the ‘Explore Nearby’ option visible in the lower right area of Waze app
• Step 2: Choose the ‘Food & Drinks’ option
• Step 3: Click on the icon or name displayed on the top-right screen area to search for a specific grocery store. Do make sure that it’s open at that moment

Advantages Of Purchasing From The Nearest Grocery Store

• Consumes Less Time & Money: The ingredients available at the grocery store are less priced than supermarkets. You get fair deals and can negotiate with the shopkeeper if you purchase groceries from a wholesale grocery store. Also, these stores are located in every area so you don’t have to walk miles in order to purchase groceries.
• Get Essentials Quickly: If you’re someone who often has guests visiting at home and have to rush to groceries to buy paneer, dry fruits, milk etc then your nearest grocery store can act as a saviour for you. You can just go there and get all the items quickly.
• Purchase Freshly Delivered Items: Dairy, Meat & Vegetables are good to consume only when bought fresh. Products like milk, eggs, and bread are delivered early in the morning to the grocery stores by the supply chain’s local vendor. Hence, it’s always advised to buy these types of products from a grocery store rather than buying them online.
• Measure Food Quality: When purchasing offline, you can see exactly how much the item measures and then purchase according to it rather than buying extra. This also prevents food wastage and expiry & you learn how grocery shopping is done.
• More Streamlined & Convenient: These stores are situated at a walking distance hence even a kid can go there and get the items if their parent is working in the kitchen. If you’re a working professional then also it’s a win-win situation for you. Just take a 5 minute break and get your groceries hassle-free.

What Items You Can Get From Grocery Stores Near You?

Grocery stores are one-stop essential destination which sell a diversified range of food products along with the household items according to the local customer needs. Buying from the grocery store is always a plus point because you get fresh products and can return them anytime in case you don’t like the product quality. You also get amazing discounts if you’re a regular customer and purchase groceries frequently from a particular grocery store. Below we have mentioned all the items which you can get from the nearest grocery store.

• Dry Fruits (Cashews, Almonds, Walnuts, Dates)
• Legumes ( Toor Dal, Rajma, Chickpeas, Black Eyed Peas, Urad Dal, Chana Dal, Masoor Dal, Masoor Dal)
• Dairy Products ( Milk, Eggs)
• Breakfast Items ( Poha, Bread, Rava, Peanut Butter, Biscuits,Chickpea Flour, Jaggery, Honey)
• Spices ( Red Chilli Powder, Coriander Powder, Turmeric Powder, Salt, Garam Masala, Cumin Seeds, Fenugreek Seeds, Cloves, Bay Leaves, Whole Red Dry Chillies etc)
• Rice ( Brown Rice, White Rice)
• Oils ( Refined Oil, Mustard Oil, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil)
• Snacks (Cake, Soft Drinks, Chips, Popcorn etc)

These are few items which you can get at grocery stores however the list is endless and depends on each grocery on which kind of products they keep for their customers. There are many more items in relevance with your daily needs which you can get from the grocery store at your own convenience.

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Conclusion

We hope that by reading this content you must have understood how to navigate to the nearest grocery store and why shopping from the nearest grocery or any grocery store is worth the price. However, one major con is that grocery stores don’t operate 24*7 hence always get your ingredients at a regular time like morning, afternoon or evening. The general opening timings of the Indian grocery stores are 7am to 11 pm only. For confirmation, you can ask the shop timings of your nearest grocery store from the shop owner and visit accordingly. Also, do let us know what are your favourite grocery essentials in the comments section below and which method you generally prefer to reach there.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q) Do grocery stores offer home delivery?

Ans: Grocery stores are run by local people hence there are fewer chances of getting the groceries delivered at home. However, you can ask the owner if they provide home delivery services in your area. If yes, then do ask them about the delivery charges whether it’s free for a certain distance or if there are any charges for the same.

Q) From where can I purchase groceries online?

Ans: Swiggy Instamart, BlinkIt, Big Basket, Reliance Fresh, Big Basket, Dunzo, Zepto are renowned platforms which offer rapid grocery delivery at your doorstep. Purchase online groceries only in emergency situations when it’s extremely urgent and you have no time.