Covid-19: Here's how FMCG firms are going directly to the consumer

FMCG companies have stepped into the resultant gaps and have started to explore direct-to-consumer distribution channels

On the one hand, there are lockdown-induced supply chain disruptions, circumspect shopkeepers and the unwillingness of the customer to step out. On the other hand, there is a constant demand for food products and even stockpiling by consumers. FMCG companies have stepped into the resultant gaps and have started to explore direct-to-consumer (DTC) distribution channels. Going beyond the dominant general trade, the fast-emerging modern trade and even traditional e-commerce — say grocery delivery platforms or marketplaces — these companies are reaching the customer's doorstep in their  two-wheelers and four-wheelers or with their pop-up outlets, leveraging their own apps and in