Online, retail chain stores may soon run out of stock

When Kandivli resident Gayatri Sarang ordered food items from an online shopping store, she was surprised to learn that the delivery will take at least three days; a service that is usually given within 24 hours. Vaishnavi Vasudevan reports.

When Kandivli resident Gayatri Sarang ordered food items from an online shopping store, she was surprised to learn that the delivery will take at least three days; a service that is usually given within 24 hours.

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“I had to wait for two days for the vegetables and flour I had ordered. Now, the delivery slots on the website are increasing,” said Sarang.

As the traders continue to strike, many customers are heading towards online shopping portals, malls and modern retail chains such as Big Bazaar and D-Mart to stock up their kitchens.

“We have witnessed 20% increase in sales over the past week. Many customers are also demanding for urgent delivery,” said Soumya Gupta, sales and marketing head of Omart.com, an online grocery store.

A Big Bazaar spokesperson said, “The surge in sales is for groceries, fruits and vegetables. Sales have gone up as consumers are looking for alternatives to local shops.”

However, stocks in most retail stores and online portals are rapidly exhausting. “We have been replacing the products with other brands due to shortage of material. In the past two days, a few suppliers have told us that they will not operate anymore because of the strike. It is becoming difficult for us to meet the increase in demand,” said Karan Malhotra, co-founder of localbanya.com.

Malhotra fears that if the strike continues indefinitely, their stocks would be emptied in next 7 to 10 days.