A Delhi-based startup is trying to solve a very Delhi problem, the exhaustion of shopping in crowded markets with too many bags and too little space.
CarryMen, a new service currently operational in Lajpat Nagar, allows shoppers to hire trained assistants for Rs 149 per hour. These assistants accompany customers through the market, carry shopping bags, wait in food queues, help them navigate stores, guide them to the metro station or parking area, and even help find a place to sit when they need a break.
The idea is simple: customers shop while the assistant handles the physical load.
What CarryMen offers
The service has been positioned as a practical shopping support system rather than a luxury personal shopping service. For Rs 149 per hour, customers can book assistants for two-hour, three-hour or four-hour slots.
The company is offering three packages, a two-hour slot for quick shopping runs, a three-hour package for longer market visits, and a four-hour option for customers who expect an extended shopping trip.
According to details shared by the startup, assistants can carry shopping bags, help customers move through crowded lanes, wait in food queues, escort them to parking or metro gates, and locate seating spots during long market visits.
The service is currently focused on Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar market, with the startup also looking at other crowded shopping hubs such as Sarojini Nagar and Chandni Chowk.
Startup idea born from crowded Delhi markets
CarryMen’s founders say the idea came from their own experience of shopping in Delhi’s busy local markets, where long walks, heavy bags, crowded lanes and food queues often make the outing tiring.
“People love shopping but they hate the physical stress that comes with it,” the startup founder said on their instagram page.
The service is aimed at customers who want to continue shopping in traditional markets but without the stress of carrying multiple bags or managing small logistics through the trip.
Who is using the service?
The service is expected to appeal especially to elderly shoppers, pregnant women, parents with toddlers and families doing heavy market shopping.
According to visuals shared by the startup across their social media handles, many early bookings have come from elderly shoppers, particularly women buying clothes and household items such as curtains and bedsheets.
Each assistant can reportedly carry up to 12 kg, with customers required to book additional help for heavier loads. CarryMen has also introduced add-on support such as portable chairs, umbrellas, power banks and hydration assistance.
Internet reacts to CarryMen
The idea has caught attention on social media, with several users calling it a smart solution for India’s crowded shopping markets.
Journalist Smita Prakash wrote on X that while high-end malls and shops have personal shoppers, they do not usually offer end-to-end services like this. She added that such businesses could succeed in other towns and cities as well.
Some users, however, raised questions about whether the service can scale smoothly in Indian markets, where price sensitivity and trust issues may become challenges.
A new urban convenience play
CarryMen’s model fits into a broader shift in urban services, where convenience-led startups are trying to solve everyday problems through small, paid interventions.
Unlike app-based delivery or concierge platforms, this service is built around the offline shopping experience especially in markets where customers still prefer bargaining, touching products and exploring stores physically.
For crowded retail hubs such as Lajpat Nagar, Sarojini Nagar and Chandni Chowk, the model could find takers among shoppers who want the market experience without the physical strain. Its success, however, will depend on execution, trust, pricing and whether customers see the service as useful enough to pay for regularly.