–Businesses without online services less likely to survive during current pandemic and in future
ISLAMABAD: A large number of citizens are shifting their focus from manual to digital shopping for the upcoming religious festival of Eid-ul-Fitr as markets remain closed due to the lockdown to curtail social interaction amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Although a few customers are still managing to shop by visiting shops whose owners are available on call and allow visitors for a short time to select clothes themselves, they close the shops out of fear of the concerned authorities as it is against the law.
Therefore, the majority of customers have no option except shopping from online websites which are offering a variety of clothes and other accessories.
Shaista, a housewife said, “I have made online orders of clothes for me and my family taking advantage of the good sale offers so that I can have a sufficient stock of all required items for the whole season as well as for Eid”.
“The online shopping facility offered by different brands, shopping marts and food outlets have made the lives of citizens quite easier especially at the time when staying at home and lessening interaction with people is the best possible precaution to prevent the spread of coronavirus,” she said while talking to APP.
Malik Usman, a businessman said, the prevailing coronavirus challenge has also proven the fact that only those retailers who will keep abreast with the trend of digitalisation will be able to survive in the future.
“Online shopping due to lockdown would affect the business of those retailers who lack online shopping facilities, but this will be largely in the interest of citizens whose safety is more important at this time,” he observed.
Shahid Awan, a retailer who is just shifted to online business assuming the possible extension in the lockdown said, “This is the time when we have to stand for a cause to prevent ourselves and the customers from interaction for safety purposes and shift customer’s focus to online shopping despite the fact it will inflict loss to our business.
Shagufta Munir, a housewife said this is not affordable for the people belonging to the low income groups like us to shop from the online websites offering dresses and shoes on higher rates.
We always buy dresses, shoes and other accessories for Eid through visiting different local shops and finding the best things at reasonable rates. Online retailers are not offering a variety of stuff with reasonable prices”, she observed.
It has been observed that the trend of online shopping from the official websites of famous brands offering dresses, shoes and other accessories were already in practice by a large number of people, especially women in the capital city.
But now, it is the need of the hour for maintaining the safety of citizens.
