FMCG purchases by households up 12% versus 2-4% prior to lockdown

The outbreak of COVID-19 has changed the way the Indian consumer is shopping. FMCG purchases in March and April were up 12 percent against 2-4 percent prior to the lockdown.

"Prior to lockdown we used to see big purchases in week one & then small purchases for the rest of the month. Post the lockdown, we had a huge week one of the purchases & then a huge week four as well," said K Ramakrishnan, Managing Director, South Asia, Kantar Worldpanel.

During the lockdown a large number of FMCG companies faced labour and distribution related challenges which led to a lesser amount of goods reaching end consumers. "We have seen a marginal drop for branded products across categories, could be due to availability," said Ramakrishnan. Demand for products like biscuits and salty snacks was exponentially higher than normal, he added. From a household perspective, down-trading has not happened.