Business Desk :
Before the Covid-19 outbreak in the country, Chaldal, a leading online shopping platform for household goods, used to have 2,500 orders every day.
The volume of the daily orders multiplied to around 16,000 in April and May due to the nationwide shutdown put in place from March 26 to curb the spread of the deadly virus.
In the current new normal situation, Chaldal on average receives around 6,000 orders per day, which is 140 per cent higher than that of six months back, reports TBS.
Not just Chaldal, all online-based platforms that mainly retail everyday essentials have experienced a remarkable business growth during the pandemic, according to officials at the e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB).
Asif Ahnaf, a director at e-CAB, said earlier people used to buy only luxury items from e-Commerce websites, but, since the novel coronavirus pandemic made inroads into the country and markets were closed, consumers have been turning to online platforms for daily essentials.
“The sector grew at 200-300per cent over the last few months,” he said. “Before the pandemic, the sector had a monthly transaction of Tk200 crore, which has now increased to Tk490 crore.”
The association has 1,200 member companies, of which only 8 per cent offer essential goods and grocery products.
