Pandemic stress boosts digital selling among smaller enterprises

About 29% of the micro enterprises surveyed were using digital sales before the pandemic struck which rose to 47%

SHIVANI SHARMA, PRAGATI SRIVASTAVA

Use of digital selling platforms by smaller players rose from 29% to 53% in the pre and post Covid period.

Among manufacturing sectors, gems and jewellery and textiles showed the biggest improvement.  The proportion of gems and jewellery manufacturers embracing online selling platforms has more than quadrupled to 55 per cent in November from 13 per cent before the pandemic.

In services, realtors and human resources firms showed maximum adoption of digital sales channels during the study period.

About 60 per cent of the respondents who adopted digital selling said it helped them weather the pandemic-induced stress, while the rest said it boosted sales.