Covid restrictions on movement push more people to online shopping

Several small town consumers have turned online for buying essentials and other items and e-commerce companies have been providing roundthe- clock services to meet the demand.
For representational purposes
For representational purposes

VISAKHAPATNAM: Consumers from towns need delivery & courier services more than ever in the pandemic times, as the logistics play a key role in delivering the emergency medical supplies to healthcare workers and essential goods to consumers. During the quarantine, small town consumers turned to e- commerce sites to hoard their essentials and priority non-essentials. Delivery service franchises buckled up and provided round-the-clock services to reciprocate with the sudden demand. And it is still on.

"According to the Consignor data, there is a huge shift of 80 percent of locals from offline stores to e-commerce sites with the impact of pandemic; this highlights that e-commerce delivery services have seen an increased demand in tier 3 towns in the Covid-19 situation. Essential supplies alone show consumer growth of more than 35 percent. Before the pandemic, parcels were mostly electronics. Now, most of the parcels we deliver are necessities including healthcare products in huge volumes. There is an increased demand of 15 per cent for priority non-essentials as well. But we have stopped door-to-door delivery for non-essential goods as of now," said Srikanth, Blue Dart branch head, Vizianagaram.

Covid-19 has hindered many aspects of life, including the customers' regular shopping patterns. Since the new normal demands new habits, the work of delivery service franchises now goes beyond the transportation: Making deliveries safer for customers as well as employees, and also to maintain hygiene transparency.

Ecom Express branch head of Vizianagaram said, "Contactless delivery is our one of the very immediate responses to Covid-19. Aside from the important measures like social distancing, wearing a mask and disinfectant services, we reiterate our executives to practice contactless deliveries,"

After the lockdown in 2020, E-commerce sites have come up with clearance sales, that led consumers to go on a shopping spree.

Xpressbees courier services branch head, Vizianagaram said, "Gen Z and Millennials of towns are more inclined to use logistics than the older generation. This demand for e- commerce orders and delivery services in small towns will see a hike on par with the restrictions on the movement."

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The New Indian Express
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