FMCG companies see big surge in their online sales

NEWDELHI:India’s fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies that have for years built a countrywide distribution network through kirana stores and supermarkets said the lockdowns have boosted online sales in a short span of time as shoppers stuck at home turned to buying household essentials on the Internet.

For Bengaluru-based MTR Foods, e-commerce sales have risen from 2.2% pre-covid to 4-5% currently. “People who were fence sitters to e-commerce have changed their behaviour,” said Sunay Bhasin, marketing head at MTR that makes a variety of packaged food products. “We have seen our e-commerce business double up—we have done tie-ups and extended our own e-commerce play (own website) to more cities.”

Beverage company Parle Agro—that sells the Frooti and Appy Fizz brands—has seen its online sales jump manifold. “We have already seen a 300% increase in sales on the e-commerce platform in the last month. With an increase in the number of partner platforms, we are targeting a ten-fold growth,” said Nadia Chauhan, joint managing director and CMO, Parle Agro.