Lucknow: Tsunami of panic buying calls cripple door-to-door delivery mechanism

LUCKNOW: A tsunami of panic buying calls on day one of the home delivery mechanism of essential items during lockdown led to chocked telephone lines, leaving thousands disappointed on Thursday. However, it also came as a big relief for hundreds struggling to buy groceries for several days. Officers said the situation will normalise in a few days.
The 62 outlets of 13 giants permitted for home delivery were deluged by over 60,000 calls in a day, but they could meet only 20% of the orders placed during the first two hours of the opening.The volume of the calls was so high that thousands dialled for hours only to find numbers constantly engaged during the day.

The establishments included outlets of two e-commerce giants, 54 branches of seven supermarkets and four app-based supermarkets. Besides, two online food delivery companies were authorised to collect orders from stores for home delivery. The workforce of all the 15 giants is over 8,000.
Nishi Bajaj tried numbers of almost all the mega stores, app-based supermarkets and food delivery companies from her Jopling Road residence, but could not connect to a single one. “The telephone lines were either engaged or went unanswered, while app-based services rejected orders,” she said.
The exercise left Saba Khan, a Indirnagar resident, exhausted by the end of the day. “My husband had to do all the household chores,” she said. Different Mega stores accepted orders with the minimum value of Rs 500 and Rs1000 and delivery within three-km radius, leaving many people disappointed. “Since lines of stores near my house were engaged, I tried outlets in other areas, but they too refused,” said Hemant Sharma of Gomtinagar.
Mega stores’ staff were working in equally trying situation. “Calls started pouring in as soon as we opened at 9am and received over 200 orders by 11am, enough for our 20 delivery boys to execute in a day,” said an outlet manager in Aashiana.
“Our staff on telephone duty could not sit idle even for a second. After our capacity was full and we requested people to call tomorrow,” said head of supermarket branch in Hazratganj.
Employee of another retail giant in Kauthauta Crossing in Vibhutikhand said, "We booked orders for next three days in just two hours."
An outlet in Aashiana, confused over the timing, started closing at 11am, but police intervened and clarified that closure timing is 11pm.
Mahesh Singh, a resident of PGI, said that he placed order on e-commerce website and they said that they would deliver in a week.
However, grocery shops were opened in most parts of the city. “The shop in my neighbourhood which was shut since March 21 opened today”, said Rashid in Mahanagar.
ADM, Trans Gomti , Vishwa Bhushan said, "The pressure has started easing and the situation will be normal in next two to three days.”