Amongst many changes that the pandemic brought into people’s lives. Be it basic needs or luxurious items, one major change has been the method of shopping. Though online shopping was gaining slow but gradual popularity in Nepal, the lockdowns helped speed the process up rapidly. As people were restricted in their own homes, online shopping proved to be easier and a much safer option than going out. Even today, when people are able to physically shop for their needs, many continue to order things online.

Before the pandemic, online shopping was mostly limited to food deliveries and occasionally other items. However, the lockdowns forced many individuals to shop for their basic needs online too. Abhimanyu Sharma, manager of Gyapu.com says “Most of our customers shopped for groceries online during the lockdown. This was not a common thing before the pandemic”. Speaking of their growing market boundaries in the pandemic, Sikshya Upreti, Head of Sales at Meroshopping.com says, “Before the pandemic, our clients were mostly based within the valley. However, we have seen an increase in the number of orders from outside Kathmandu valley these days”.

Amsu Amatya, co-founder of The Sweetlime believes that the number of online shoppers in Nepal might have doubled since the pandemic started in 2020. “Speaking from both a business perspective and my personal observation, the numbers might have doubled seeing how popular online shopping is getting”, says Amatya. “By now, most families have been involved in at least one online purchase”, Sharma adds.