It is summer time, and the aroma of spices and fresh mango pickles pervades most courier outlets in the city. For the past two months, most couriers firms have been busy dispatching pickle boxes to various places abroad.
Generally, most households prepare pickles with the arrival of fresh mangoes in the market and later courier them to their relatives abroad. Though there is a slump in mango arrivals this season, thanks to unseasonal rains, the trend of transporting pickles abroad has not gone down in the city.
Many outletsThere are close to 10 branded courier companies and nearly 40 unorganised courier outlets in the city. Depending on the services extended and the delivery period, courier companies charge from Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 3,000 per kg of pickle.
However, if the quantity exceeds more than 5 kg, the charges are slashed considerably.
Among all the places, most shipments are to New Jersey, New York and Dallas in the United States. More than those in Vijayawada, residents from neighbouring places such as Gudivada, Poranki, Vuyyuru, Bandar and Nandigama make more bookings, according to Nagarjuna of ICL Couriers.
Usually, each outlet generates a revenue of close to Rs. 35 lakh during the season, but of late, with more outlets coming up in the city, there is a lot of competition. To please customers, most outlets offer specialised services like weighing and packing at the customer’s home and even making the bookings from the client’s place, he adds.
Many eatablesNow, it is not just pickles. These days, customers also transport groundnut, pulses, curry powders, ghee and other ingredients as well.
Despite several companies offering online booking and international export of their products, most households still continue to prefer sending homemade pickles abroad, adds Ram Mohan, manager of a leading courier company in the city.
