Coronavirus: E-tailers see spike in demand for masks, sanitizers

Industry executives said customers were avoiding the items sourced from China, throwing an opportunity for India sellers to fill that gap

With the rise in number of coronavirus cases, e-commerce companies such as eBay, Flipkart, and Amazon are witnessing a massive demand for sanitisers, masks, and disinfectants not just from India but also from the US and countries in Europe and West Asia. Most of these products are, however, becoming out of stock, according to industry executives.

US-headquartered e-commerce marketplace eBay said: “We have been able to do a significant volume of business in exporting masks, sanitisers and various other health-related items over the past fortnight. There is a triple-digit growth for us in the health vertical,” said Vidmay Naini, country manager at eBay India. eBay has more than 100,000 sellers associated with it in India.

Industry executives, who did not wish to be quoted, said customers were avoiding the items sourced from China, throwing an opportunity for India sellers to fill that gap. 

Amazon and Walmart-owned Flipkart are also witnessing a huge uptick for these products. “The stocks are depleted, and sellers are not able to even supply them to the medical stores,” said an e-commerce industry executive.