E-commerce platforms have seen a notable surge in demand for essential items such as groceries as consumers increasingly value the convenience of shopping from the comfort of their home and avoid going out during heatwave conditions. . This increased demand for deliveries has also increased the need for additional staff across e-commerce and quick commerce companies, the Economic Times reported.
Demand trends and forecasts
Industry experts revealed that the number of daily deliveries by e-commerce entities, including quick commerce platforms, rose to more than 2 million last month alone, compared with 1.2 million to 1.5 million recorded a year ago.
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TeamLease Services, a leading human resources services provider, estimates that this surge will require approximately 10,000 additional operational personnel at these platforms' dark stores and distribution centers, as well as an additional three bikers to facilitate order delivery. It is predicted that many people will need it.
Ujjwal Chaudhry, a partner at consulting firm Redseer, said there was a significant increase in quick commerce orders in the first few weeks of May, especially in the National Capital Region (NCR). “Delhi-NCR region has shown almost twice the growth compared to the overall metropolitan growth,” he said.
This spike is mainly due to the ongoing heat wave, which has made people reluctant to go outside to shop.
summer shopping trends
Executives at staffing and e-commerce companies say consumers are increasingly ordering ice cream and drinks online, in addition to groceries.
“Grocery delivery has a bigger demand for bikers than restaurant delivery,” said Kartik Narayan, chief executive officer of staffing at Teamlease Services. As temperatures rise and demand for products such as ice cream and cold drinks increases, the demand for workers in both dark store and delivery jobs has increased significantly.
Additionally, Amazon saw a notable spike in demand for ice cream and dairy products on its AmazonFresh grocery delivery platform this summer. Srikant Sree Ram, director of Amazon Fresh, said the company saw a 43% year-over-year increase in unit sales in each category, a 20% increase in ice cream shoppers, and a 33% jump. For those who purchase dairy products and dairy-alternative beverages.
Jayen Mehta, Managing Director, Amul, said there was a significant increase in sales through e-commerce and quick commerce channels compared to last year, with an overall increase of 40% in ice cream sales across various retail channels. Ta.
EC response and sales trends
Executives across the industry are noticing a surge in demand for summer-ready categories such as ice cream, curds and beverages.
Manish Bandrish, Managing Director, Mother Dairy, said, “With peak summer season underway in most parts of the country, we are witnessing a significant surge in demand for our portfolio including ice cream, curd and beverages across key markets. Ice cream alone has registered a rise of over 20 per cent compared to the same period last year.”
Demand for delivery and warehouse staff has surged 20% compared to last summer. Companies have adapted by revising incentive policies and improving working conditions for gig workers to mitigate the challenges posed by the scorching weather.
Aware of the challenges faced by delivery partners in these unprecedented times, e-commerce companies claim to be offering support measures. Swiggy, for instance, has set up over 300 zones in high-demand areas where delivery personnel can take a rest and have snacks in shady areas. Similarly, Zomato has set up 450 rest points across multiple cities and plans to expand this to over 4,000 by June. Meanwhile, Blinkit has stocked up on essential beverages in its stores and installed coolers to quickly provide relief from the heat.
As temperatures continue to rise and summer has not yet reached its peak, meeting growing demand remains a challenge for e-commerce companies and their delivery partners.
