E-commerce firms expand delivery network

E-commerce firms are seeing a surge in demand from smaller towns and cities, for grocery, essentials, as well as non-essential products, compelling them to add more pincodes to their delivery network.

Amazon Pantry, which offers grocery and everyday essentials, has been witnessing a 2x increase in demand from Tier-2 and 3 cities, said an Amazon India spokesperson. “…Demand from cities such as Ambala, Anantapur, Bijapur, Kadapa and Erode saw 5x increase. In May, we expanded Amazon Pantry to over 200 cities and towns, adding Eluru, Prakasm and Kurnool among others,” the spokesperson added.

As unlocking gains momentum, large e-commerce firms are opening up inventory across categories. Amazon and Flipkart have also been stepping up to provide increased support to their seller ecosystem to ensure business continuity, as the lockdown impacted the operations of small businesses.