With the lockdown extended for another 2 weeks, households have been facing challenges to get “non-essentials” like stationery and gadgets for online classes and work from home. Ministry of Home Affairs permitted the use of e-commerce to supply the non-essential goods in green and orange zone after the lockdown extension but according to a survey by LocalCircles, 78% of the participants want the government to initiate the same practice in red zones.
LocalCircles conducted a survey including approximately 16000 participants from 201 districts to understand the current scenario of buyer persona. Only 18% of the respondents did not want the government to allow e-commerce activities in full swing. 68% of parents argued that they need to buy books for the online classes to be effective for kids and 24% need to purchase desktop or laptop for online classes.
The survey also asked about the mode of purchase after the lockdown to which 41% preferred local stores and 26% supported e-commerce platforms. There was also a minority of 4% who chose malls for purchase post lockdown. This survey also revealed that 43% of household require office supplies while 33% need gadgets.
The government on April 24 allowed books and fan shops to open declaring them as essentials, but most of these shops did not function in red zones. The consumers are suggesting that allowing the e-commerce to function in full capacity will not only provide all the necessary goods but also help in reducing the number of people on streets. They also have argued that retailers should be allowed to take orders on WhatsApp and can perform delivery of required goods. A major reason for this emphasis can be the overcharging on local stores which was stated in a previous survey.