Traditional players in Onam market struggle to find their feet as e-commerce gains currency

As the Onam mood is setting in, the market appears to be learning the need to adapt to the growing influence of e-commerce and social media on customer behaviour. Sellers in key sectors, including provisions, vegetables, and textiles, share the concern that e-commerce players as well as trendsetter outlets from industrial conglomerates have been fast making inroads into their targeted business.

While sellers of essential commodities, who used to make a windfall during Onam, flagged a possible impact of the ongoing quick-commerce surge on their business, textile merchants highlighted the growing demand for designs influenced by social media which they find difficult to cater to.

Vegetable merchants associated with the Kochi market said Onam-related trends in sales were yet to set in. “The trends in sales and prices of vegetables are expected only closer to Onam by August 30-31. However, we do not expect a surge in sales or prices. Vegetable merchants have not started stocking commodities for Onam,” N.H. Shameed, general secretary, Ernakulam Market Stall Owners Association, said.

K.M. John, former president, Kerala Merchants Chamber of Commerce, echoed the sentiments. He said the increasing influence of e-commerce and quick-commerce players on consumer behaviour had evidently affected the retail sector and in turn wholesalers. He said a negligible upward trend had been seen only in the prices of edible oil.

Venkitesh Pai, a wholesale merchant, said the price of rice brands had remained unchanged for a while. “There has been no correlation between the Onam season and the price of rice for some time now. In fact, the price usually goes down mainly owing to Onam-related supply by the government,” he said.

Wholesale and retail traders of textiles, meanwhile, sounded a bit optimistic. “The situation looks better compared to previous years now. There is no considerable rise in textile prices. Sales through e-market and budget outlets of industry majors have been, however, affecting the traditional market,” M. Basshyam, who has been into textile wholesale since 1999, said.

Seasoned retailer and general secretary of Kerala Textile and Garments Dealers Welfare Association, K. Krishnan, shared the view. Buyers come with designs they find on Instagram which traditional shops often do not have. We have to adapt to the changing trends to cater to the needs of the buyers who prefer online platforms.”