We have consulted with factories to supply basic goods

Company News; Over the past few weeks, rising commodity prices have disrupted the production and distribution of basic commodities. This disorder started with the lack of production and distribution of pasta by the major producers of this product and turned pasta into a rare commodity. Subsequently, the plan to start subsidizing targeted commodities such as oil, dairy, and protein products was also affected, and whispers of rising health commodity prices will be heard in the coming weeks.

Irregularities in the distribution of basic goods led to increased demand among the people and long queues in front of some stores, and eventually the disappearance of goods. The same thing happened in the online space, and the users of online stores were faced with the absence of goods on these platforms for hours a day.

We talked about this issue with Hamid Reza Pakravan, CEO of Digikala Jet and fast-moving products in Digikala, which you can read below.

What problems have you had to date with the supply of basic goods?

With the sudden rise in wheat prices, large macaroni companies were challenged to produce and supply, which led to a sudden increase in demand and macaroni became scarce in all stores. Digikala was no exception and we could not meet the needs of our customers in a short period of time. Given the capacity of digital goods warehouses and the high demand, we needed to supply pasta several times a week, which was quickly non-existent.

Following the efforts of Digikala’s trading team and direct consultation with pasta factories, we were one of the first stores to offer this product and it was offered to support people without profit and at the producer price.

In order to prevent the repetition of the customers’ experience in the face of other basic goods, direct and extensive contacts were made with the producers to supply the oil, and with the efforts made, the oil is now available to the people at a discount.

In addition to these measures, Digikala has tried to put the basic items that people need on a dedicated page, and by offering discounts, people can provide these goods without any worries.

Do the conditions you described apply to all basic goods?

At Digikala we have products that require special operations infrastructure in maintenance and shipping. Protein products are among these products. For example, considering the capacity of Digikala supermarket refrigerators, hot chicken is now available daily in a certain number in Digikala and sold within a few hours of its availability. Then the processing and sending process begins, and the chicken is kept in our equipped refrigerators until the process is complete. Until the refrigerators are empty, we will not be able to supply the slaughtered chicken of the day, which will cause the product to be no longer available in Digi Kala when it is replenished. These goods that have special storage time and conditions can not be re-supplied until they are sent to customers, so we do not have more supply than storage capacity and logistics. This is one of the reasons why users may encounter the absence of chicken while browsing Digikala. Of course, in this case, all users can use the option of “Notify me available” option in Digikala.

So with this account, people become aware of the availability of basic goods at the moment?

Yes, there is an option called “Notify me” or “Notify me” in the Digikala app and website. By selecting this option, a message will be sent to the user as soon as the selected product is offered for sale in Digikala and he can register his order. Many users already use this option and register their order immediately after delivery.

This option helps in these special circumstances to provide the same information to all those who need the product. Many people may not be able to go to physical stores and be instantly aware of the stock.

How does Digikala control the prices of basic goods?

In Digikala, it is not possible to sell goods at a price higher than the listed price at all.

Price fluctuations in the commodity market may be repeated in the future. What is your plan?

These challenges will also exist if we again face distribution disruption for any reason. Most of the basic goods that people are concerned about today will be provided to the people through digital goods if they have a regular supply from the producers. One of our main concerns in this situation is to create equal access of all people to basic and essential goods, and we declare our readiness when our logistical infrastructure is needed to distribute these basic items among the people. .

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