These companies have started relying on measures they had taken during the second wave earlier this year, though they have yet to undertake any drastic changes in their operations.
However, they are closely monitoring the evolving situation, industry executives said.
Homegrown ecommerce company Flipkart, majority owned by US retailer Walmart, is taking additional safety measures for its warehouse and logistics teams, while Amazon India is conducting business as usual, for now.
A seller on online retail platforms told ET that ecommerce companies have not communicated about any major re-arrangements on operational matters yet.
Food delivery firms such as
and Swiggy are also keenly following the case graph, sources told ET.
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Flipkart said that maintaining its operations involves conducting large-scale awareness
sessions on Covid-19 safety protocols at its fulfilment, sortation centres and delivery hubs for over 100,000 supply chain employees across the country.
“We are continuing to follow these measures and have rolled out an audit process to constantly improve our safety protocols. We have rolled out initiatives such as Safekart and Suraksha to reiterate our Covid-19 safety protocols among lakhs of our employees and offer benefits such as free doctor teleconsultations, instant credit etc,” the company said in a statement.
It is also working closely with the central and state governments on Covid-19 guidelines, the Bengaluru-based company said.
A spokesperson for Amazon India said it had implemented a series of preventative health measures for employees, associates, and partners at its sites since the beginning of the pandemic. This includes adherence to social distancing norms, use of face masks, and daily temperature screenings in its operations sites.
Spokespersons for Swiggy and Zomato declined to comment.
Primarc Pecan Retail, which partners multiple brands, is working with clients to ensure there is enough stock in warehouses in case there is another lockdown, said chief executive Ankur Dayal.
“Frankly, we are not doing any major arrangements now. (It is) still a wait-and-watch (situation),” he said.
Companies are also more prepared to tackle lockdowns based on their experience of handling the second wave earlier this year.
For companies like Swiggy and Zomato, the way in which Omicron cases spread will be crucial as the second wave had taken a toll on food delivery order volumes after recovering post the first wave.
Ecommerce platforms’ order volumes were also hit as various state-level guidelines led to logistics hurdles.
“After the first lockdown, there was a surge in demand. We forecast demand from the first. So, we want to be well prepared for the second lockdown (just) in case,” Dayal added.
ET visited one of Swiggy’s dark stores, which enables its hyperlocal grocery delivery service Instamart.
The person in-charge said no specific changes or communication regarding the Omicron variant had been shared as of now.
“There is a quality assurance team that visits the store every two days to ensure sanitisation and mask rules are being followed,” the person said, adding that meetings are happening every day at the corporate level and a communication is expected soon.
A delivery executive at Dunzo also said that there had been no communication from the company about any contingency plan against the Omicron variant.
