The e-commerce sector has not only recovered from the impact of COVID-19-related lockdown but also witnessed an order volume growth of 17 per cent in June, according to a report by Unicommerce. The study by also notes that consumer buying patterns and preferences have changed significantly.

“E-commerce has not only recovered but have grown by 17 per cent as compared to pre-lockdown order volume. The consumer buying patterns and preferences have changed significantly, categories like health and pharma, and FMCG and agriculture have seen a surge and exponential growth with the rise of a large number of first-time online users,” the report says.

There will be increasing digitisation by brands across multiple categories, leading to the improved shopping experience for consumers, it adds.

After e-commerce resumed operations post COVID-19, the return rate of products has seen a dip of about 10-30 per cent, depending on the category, the report points out.

The reduced return can be attributed to the new safety norms, increasing demand for essential products, which are generally non-returnable.

As the world is grappling with the effects of COVID-19, the e-commerce industry in India has seen a major boost since the beginning of this year, says Kapil Makhija, CEO of Unicommerce.