How COVID-19 affected the online grocery buying experiences-A study of select cities of Mumbai and Pune.

 Jyoti Meshram
Academic, TEAM University, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

ABSTRACT

COVID-19, one small virus has shaken the entire world. According to IMF, the global economy is expected to shrink by over 3 percent in 2020 – the steepest slowdown since the Great Depression of the 1930s. It has caused impact on personal lives and corporate world. India’s first COVID -19 cases was registered on January 30, 2020. As on July 31, 2020 the number has skyrocketed to whopping 1.66 million. Indian Government imposed a nationwide lockdown from March 25, 2020. The lockdown caused panic buying among the customers. In metro cities people usually have a habit of buying their necessities including groceries online. Online retailers like Amazon, Flipkart, Grofers, Big Basket, etc. are the key players in online grocery market.
The lockdown has also largely affected online retail sectors Due to shortage of stocks, lack of transport and lack of manpower the etailers were able to provide no service or limited service. .The pandemic has disturbed the trust, loyalty and satisfaction level of retail customers. This paper aims to portray an overview of customer experiences related to the services of online retailers during the pandemic.
It is worthwhile to understand that retaining the existing customers indeed is a huge challenge for the retailers selling the groceries online during COVID-19, the retailers should remain in touch with their customers through their own sites, social media and other online platforms and express the concern and support in the dire pandemic situation. This shall helpthe customer have the sense of attachment. With COVID-19 becoming a new normal and the start of providing the services, the retailers should adapt and implement the guidelines issued by the government related to the safety hygiene and protection of their customers particularly related to the packing and delivery of the packages at the customers’ doorsteps.

Key Words: online retail, online buying, groceries buyer experiences, Retailers, Pandemic, COVID-19.

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