E-tailers prepare to deliver non-essentials; seek clarity on guidelines

Industry players as well as several consumer organisations have been requesting the government for expansion of the list of essential products

E-commerce companies are gearing up to start shipping non-essential items to customers in orange and green zones from Monday. However, sales could be impacted as metros and other cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Pune have been classified under red zones.

According to industry executives, e-commerce companies like Amazon India and Walmart-backed Flipkart have been engaging closely with sellers to help them prepare for starting shipment of non-essential products as the third phase of lockdown comes into effect from May 4.

On Friday, the home ministry had announced a two-week extension of lockdown but said there would be certain relaxations