

NEW DELHI: Online retailers such as BigBasket and Grofers are struggling to keep up with a surge in demand as shoppers rush to stock up on essentials. Several items like milk, eggs and even pulses are now not available or show a delayed delivery date instead of the usual 24 hour delivery period.

The frenzied buying in kirana stories in several cities has spilled to their online counterparts. To weed out hoarders, Grofers has now put a limit on the number of units of a particular item that a customer can buy.

“Promotions for essential commodities are being discontinued and excessive buying or multiple orders to bypass inventory limits can lead to order cancellations on the platform,” Albinder Dhindsa, co-founder and CEO, Grofers, told TOI. “We are also requesting customers to opt for considerate shopping so that shelves remain stocked for everyone,” he said.

Grofers has recorded a 65% rise in its orders while order value has risen by 20% compared to the previous month. Grocery and staples have seen an increased demand of 74% while demand for floor cleaners and personal hygiene products has jumped by over 90%. Orders for immunity boosting items such as honey and ayurvedic products like Chwayanprash have also risen.

Even those trying to order from multiple platforms are running into difficulty. Customers to BigBasket’s website are being greeted with a note that “unprecedented rise in demand” may delay delivery. “The deliveries may be delayed and we may not be able to deliver some items,” the note reads. Bigbasket’s online traffic and revenue has grown double while basket value has increased by 15% to 20%.

A BigBasket spokesperson told TOI there was high demand for staples, atta, dal, fruits and vegetables while admitting supply was disrupted in last three days. “We have taken corrective action and have geared up for supplies to meet the increased demand,” they said. Delivery will, however, remain hit. “We will face some constraints for a few more days as we build capacity in terms of storage and delivery fleet.”

An Amazon statement also said popular brands and items, especially in household staples categories, were out of stock and delivery promises were longer than usual, but the company was working round the clock to ensure availability.

