By AZE.US
A grocery basket ordered through an app can cost more than the same products bought in a supermarket — even before a delivery charge is added. In a television report cited by Vesti Baku, journalists found a difference between prices displayed for the same goods in stores and online. The report did not provide a fully priced basket, so it does not establish an average markup.
The difference can arise in several places. A retailer may set separate prices for products sold through an app, and the checkout can add delivery or other charges. A zero-manat delivery fee does not by itself mean the groceries cost the same as they do on the shelves. Some grocery listings on Wolt in Baku advertise free delivery, but buyers still need to check each item and the final bill.
Consider an illustrative example: if groceries cost 20 manats (about $12) in a store, 22 manats in an app and delivery adds 2 manats, the buyer pays 24 manats (about $14) — 20% more than the in-store price. These figures show how the calculation works; they are not measured prices or a published tariff for Baku delivery services.
Online purchases can also work out cheaper. In an earlier Vesti Baku comparison, a shirt was priced at 25 manats in a physical store and 17 manats online. The result depends on the product, the seller, any promotion and the delivery terms.
Azerbaijan’s consumer protection authority says online sellers should disclose whether delivery is included in a product’s price and state its cost. For shoppers, the figure to compare with a store receipt is therefore the total shown before payment, including every charge. Read the authority’s guidance.
Online retail is expanding. Electronic retail turnover reached 80.7 million manats (about $47.5 million) in January–March 2026, up 35.8% in real terms from the same period a year earlier, according to the State Statistical Committee. Those figures cover electronic retail more broadly and do not measure grocery delivery alone.
To work out the actual premium for convenience, compare the same products in the same quantities and check the final amount the app will charge. Dollar equivalents use the Central Bank of Azerbaijan’s September 23 exchange rate of 1.70 manats per U.S. dollar.