E-Readiness and Customer Perception about the E-Commerce during Lockdown: COVID-19 Perspectives

Abstract

The novel coronavirus which causes a highly infectious disease Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that has infected more than lakhs of people worldwide. COVID-19 has been declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation. Since it spreads primarily through contact with an infected person (when they cough or sneeze) or when a person touches a surface that has the virus on it, the best way to guard against it is to stay at home. This has increased online shopping usage, globally. It has led to a rise in the number of first-time-e-commerce-users in India, who had been so far inhibited to shop online.The study is conducted to highlight the customer perception about e-commerce in India, especially in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh region during the lockdown. The current study is limited to the sample frame of 100 customers who shopped online during the lockdown.The study depicts that there is a major transition from traditional shopping to online shopping. Due to lockdown and closure of markets, customers prefer to purchase online from e-commerce platforms like Flipkart, Amazon, BigBasket, etc. Amazon – one of the leading e-commerce players in the country, and the world, has announced on its site that the customers are relying on them like never before in their social distancing and self-quarantine efforts. Despite the fact that the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in India has had some impact on the online food ordering segments, it has come as a boon for the e-commerce companies as more individuals favour buying goods, especially grocery, staples, vegetables and other daily needs from online platforms.Consumer demand for non-essential products with e-commerce firms has expanded after the government lifted the ban on the sale of such products by e-tailers.Forrester Research reported that although demand for products, particularly laptops, books and smartphones, are expected to see an uptick, deliveries by e-commerce firms initially will take one to two weeks given the operational challenges, including inadequate availability of manpower.E-commerce can help preserve jobs during the crisis. For many restaurants that have had to close during the economic freeze, online delivery services have become a lifeline. Teachers and consultants are continuing to work through video conferencing. In some cases, e-commerce is even creating new economic opportunities.