Have E-commerce platforms benefited from the Corona crisis?

E-commerce and some home entertainment activities have grown tremendously worldwide, due to the epidemic of the newly created Coronavirus, among more than 200% of consumers who buy online shopping, preferring to stay at home for fear of infection with the emerging virus (COVID-19).

With the increased use of email, e-commerce, calls, and conversations, telecommunications companies have taken advantage of individuals’ desire not to direct their personal contacts to do business or shop in stores, in addition to Amazon and Walmart, Facebook, and food delivery services.

Global online shopping sites, including Amazon and Walmart, have seen a surge in purchases, amid the social divergence and isolation that users have imposed on themselves. The company owned by American billionaire Jeff Bezos has announced an increase in online shopping, which has led to the depletion of stocks of certain essential items, mainly medical and household goods.

By browsing more than one eCommerce platform, it has become clear that most of the popular products to buy are health and care products and detergents such as masks, handwashing, and disinfectants, followed by food items, reflecting fear of the spread of the Coronavirus.

People have become obsessed with purchasing medical masks or gags. Taobao, a company in the world’s largest e-commerce group, Alibaba, said it sold more than 100 million medical and preventive masks immediately after the discovery of the Coronavirus.

Some companies have tried to make a more attractive offer, not only at a reduced price, and have resorted to free delivery of their products without the delivery service charge, if ordered online on different platforms.

Since the quarantine conditions imposed on people staying at home for a long time, and therefore they have to take advantage of it, this means resorting to entertainment companies, such as Netflix and others, which provide broadcasting services. Video content and broadcast series and movies on the Internet, their shares have increased by more than 15%, People prefer not to go to the movies and cancel most parties and events.

Although e-commerce sites are benefiting from consumer fear of the COVID-19 virus and that this type of commerce is booming around the world, it still suffers from the Middle East and some African countries.

Online sales are estimated at the end of 2019, at around 10% of retail sales worldwide, but in the Middle East, they did not reach 2%, despite millions of Internet users. Still, those who appreciate a culture of e-commerce do not exceed 8% of the number of users, who prefer Cash payment systems Even if you buy online, cash payment represents more than 60% compared to a rate not exceeding 5% in Britain and in France.

The consumer in Arabic countries is afraid of the idea of prepayment and turns to the option of payment on reception (Cash On Delivery: COD) because it is a general culture that they should change as much as possible,

It is also known that the Arab consumer prefers to interact with the seller and go alone to the store to negotiate to obtain a profitable offer at the lowest possible price. Governments and the media on all its platforms should raise awareness of the importance of transactions and electronic commerce, whether for individuals or institutions and emphasize. The idea that online shopping is better is cheaper than stores and saves time and effort.