Personal care firms join home delivery bandwagon
Consumers have changed their purchasing patterns. They changed especially fast during the past month. The coronavirus outbreak has coerced many consumers to rethink how they’ll buy everyday household items without putting themselves in harm’s way.
Last month saw grocery stores being wiped out by hysterical shoppers stocking up on essential items and then they went online. Now a new category – daily necessities and personal hygiene products – has joined in the bandwagon for online sales.
Since beauty salons closed and people stopped going to hairdressers, sales of shampoo and conditioners in addition to “feel-good” items like face masks have also climbed in Colombo and the suburbs. After nearly a month in shutdown, consumers are starting to want a different set of products to be available beyond the old-time staples; categories such as soaps, shampoo and skincare products – and now they can.
This was made possible by companies such as Hemas Holdings PLC, when they started ramping up their ecommerce and home delivery in the personal care sector. Hemas brands encompass a range of products for babies and adults in hair care, skin care, toiletries, fragrances and oral care.
Hemas has started a pilot project to deliver their FMCG items. Roy Joseph, Managing Director, Hemas Manufacturing told the Business Times that the company wants to sustain its manufacturing and distribution. “We are trying out digital commerce platforms such as PickMe and Daraz to get our products to the customers. We have also lined up a few other such companies to join hands with us in order to distribute and carry out door-to-door operations.” He said the surge in orders is overwhelming. He also predicted that the behaviour of consumers is changing. “Hygiene oriented product demand will increase.”
He also added that one of the main challenges that Hemas is working on is ‘their concern for people. This make them constantly ensure the health and safety of their employees. “Also ensuring they adhere to all safety measure including social distancing as far as possible. This limits the number of people that we can bring into the factory and hence the lines that we can run, thereby limiting production output. But we are determined to sustain it,” he said.
Our patterns of living are changing and if that changes then what you buy and how you buy it changes.