Retailers relieved as e-commerce deliveries permitted in Bengaluru lockdown

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Jul 14, 2020

E-commerce retailers operating in business hub Bengaluru are allowed to deliver all goods purchased online during the new Bengaluru lockdown, granting some relief to struggling online businesses.

As Bengaluru is one of India’s top three cities in terms of e-commerce sales, retailers were able to breathe a sigh of relief when e-commerce sales of both essential and non-essential goods were permitted to be delivered during the localised lockdown in the metro, ET Bureau reported. The lockdown will last for a week starting from July 14 and is being imposed due to the high number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the city.
 
Other cities which are currently operating under strict guidelines due to their high Covid-19 count include Chennai, Pune, and parts of Kolkata. These areas had banned the delivery of non-essential e-commerce goods during the local lockdown which led some retailers to expect the same to happen in Bengaluru. 

“E-commerce is being allowed in Bengaluru for both essentials and non-essentials,” an industry executive confirmed to ET Bureau.

“We will now see how the disruptions will be on the ground and accordingly decide on how to change our service-level agreements (SLA) with customers.”
 
Local lockdowns have become the government’s new method for countering the ongoing spread of coronavirus. As many businesses, especially smaller ones, are struggling to recover from the nationwide lockdown, local lockdowns, although in the interest of public health, may exacerbate retailers’ financial difficulties.