Amid the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease (COVID 19), online shopping is picking up and delivery services reaching capacity. According to business owners, they say it might possibly be to avoid the crowd as the COVID-19 scare continues.
Started as a web-based and online delivery business, One Click shop opened as a store to diversify their business opportunities. Since then, they equally saw walk-in customers and people ordering grocery, online. However, with the recent pandemic, the shop has witnessed a surge in sales of their grocery online as consumers opt to stay in their house to avoid the crowd. The shop which is located at Babesa saw around 70 per cent decrease in walk-in customers and the same per cent of the increase in online shoppers. Today, online delivery services is an option for households to self-isolate.
“Because of the chaos there is of the COVID 19, people are really afraid to go outside. People are really taking precaution and they are really into quarantine mode and I think because of that the end result is that there is a drastic decrease in a walk-in customer and drastic increase in our online orders as we offer free home delivery service to all of Thimphu,” said Zigyal Tshering, the Co-Founder of One Click Shop.
Likewise, Happy delivery, a service that delivers Liquefied Petroleum Gas at doorsteps in the capital also has the same story to tell. Before they received around 80 calls per day. Today the number has crossed over 150 calls per day. And the reason remains the same, to avoid crowds.
Both the business entities also say another reason for the surge in their business may be due to people stocking up on essentials and basic amenities due to rumours going on about the lockdown. The basic commodities that are ordered mostly are rice and oils.
However, the government in every press briefing said the supply of basic need will continue at all times regardless of the situation of the country.
Samten Dolkar
