Coronavirus: Got over 3.5 lakh requests for laptops, mobile phones, consumer electronics, says Paytm Mall

Paytm Mall, the ecommerce arm of Paytm, announced that it has received an overwhelming number of requests for non-essential items since the start of the lockdown, with the searches on its platform for mobile phones, trimmers, and laptops surging more than 200 percent. With work from home and online education becoming the new normal, citizens are also wish-listing non-essential products like consumer electronics.

Consumer electronics topped the wishlist with over 1.3 lakh requests. A positive indicator for mobile phone companies, people wish-listed mobile phones upwards of 75,000 requests, says Paytm Mall.

This is closely followed by people wish-listing to buy laptops as the ecommerce company received a total of 50,000 requests. Demand for laptop charging cords, phone chargers, headphones, desktop computers, and study tables are also on an all-time high.   

In a statement released by Paytm Mall, the company said: "Lakhs of customers over the last five weeks have earmarked their 'wishlist' on Paytm Mall, in hopes of buying them immediately after the end of lockdown.”

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The company also says that it has received requests over email and through comments from its users to deliver laptops, mobile phones, headphones, trimmers, chargers, academic books, and other study materials, consumer electronics, as well as white goods since the lockdown was announced.

As per the company statement, if the "government expands the list of essential items and introduces work and study from home products as part of the list, it would help people function properly during the lockdown and not cause unnecessary delays in work which can affect their personal and professional productivity."

Srinivas Mothey, Senior Vice President, Paytm Mall, added, "We believe that the ambit of essential goods should be increased. India is mostly working from home at the moment but many are finding it difficult as they are running low on certain items necessary to effectively operate under lockdown. Laptops, mobile phones, and accessories, computer hardware, webcams, all these things should be allowed to be part of essential goods. If the lockdown continues, lack of proper technical support would hinder the efficiency of employees which in turn would affect a company's operations."

Post the lockdown, the company plans to take several measures to help its partners and citizens fight COVID-19. Earlier, Paytm Mall decided to help its merchant partners who are facing issues with stocking up on inventory and fulfilment of orders, by waiving off service level agreement (SLA). It also partnered with several suppliers and brands of FMCG goods to help its merchant partners stock up.