On having trust issues

These days, almost all my grocery shopping happens on the go, on Blinkit and Zepto. I don’t have time to plan my days, let alone my months. For me, quick commerce is convenience, nothing more.

One argument always comes up when I talk about this with friends: support your local vendors. Skip the delivery fee, and on days you’re not feeling lazy, go out and buy. The money stays with people nearby.

Fair enough. So I did.

One evening, I placed a full grocery order and realized I’d forgotten the vegetables. Ordering just a few items meant a delivery fee, a surge fee, all of it. So I walked out and bought them from the vendor down the road.

Back home, I compared what I’d paid with what the apps were charging. I was sure the street would be cheaper.

It was 15% more.

I was shocked. And then the thoughts started. Was it because I went out in shorts? Did I look modern enough that he decided I could pay more? I don’t know. I’ll probably never know.

That’s what bothers me. Not the money, the wondering.

If it costs more outside, what am I getting for leaving my comfort zone? I step out to do the “right” thing and come back feeling like I was taken for a ride.

Online, I don’t feel that. Prices just sit there on the screen. I don’t feel looked at. I don’t feel sized up.

So now the app has become something else for me. Not just the convenient place, but the place where I don’t have to carry this feeling.

Why should I keep asking myself whether I’m being charged more outside, when I can just order online, from my couch, on the go?