Page 72 - IBT October 2020
P. 72

The Government of Bangladesh
 approved online payment in   commerce where a business                              Post Pandemic-                                        transactions and if basic transactions     been around since before Covid   online and amenities are listed
 2009 and the Bangladesh Bank   decides to buy raw material                                                                                can be done with simple taps on the        but has seen an increase in   out. Pictures are provided as
 approved the use of debit and   from another business to use                        the New Normal                                        mobile phone, it does make bank runs       viewership during the lockdown.  proof and payment is collected
 credit cards for online payments   in the final product of their                    Fortunately or unfortunately, due                     quite redundant.                           Buying and selling of “pre-loved”   online. The rise of this new
 in 2013. E-commerce in   own. Consumer to consumer                                  to the pandemic, e-commerce                           Another sector that this pandemic has      or used goods has become     phenomenon in the
 Bangladesh has been   e-commerce deals with buying   E-commerce in                  through Facebook and other social                     forced into electronic evolution is the    something of a trend. While   holiday/tourism industry has
 non-taxable since 2016 and has   and selling of mostly used                         media has expanded. Due to                            field of medicine. While it may seem       vintage goods had always held a   given serious and unexpected
 gained momentum ever since.   goods between two odd   Bangladesh has been           restrictions on going out in public                   obvious that hospitals and doctors         certain appeal for people in the   competition to residential hotels
 Around 10 billion takas worth of   consumers. Mobile commerce   non-taxable since   gatherings, Facebook sellers as                       make the most money out of almost          West and yard sales are not just   and the hospitality industry.
 transactions take place each year   and Facebook commerce are                       well as sellers with their own                        any life endangering tragedy, there is     accepted but looked forward to,   Bangladeshis have not only listed
 from the E-commerce website.   relatively new phenomena and   2016 and has gained   websites have been able to rope in                    more to this, at least this time, than     Bangalis had mostly turned up   their homes here but also actively
 While there are many different   have gained more momentum   momentum ever          more and more customers,                              meets the eye. While hospitals are         their noses to such products. This   seek vacation homes instead of
 kinds of e-commerce, the ones   than any of the other branches                      including the online shopping                         jam-packed and doctors have their          mindset is now changing. As   hotel rooms fueling this up and
 that stand out most in the case   of e-commerce in a much   since. Around 10        sceptics who had thus far refused                     hands full with Covid patients, for        millennials instinctively lean   coming trend further.
 of Bangladesh are business to   shorter period of time. Buyers   billion takas worth of   to give in to the temptation.                   every doctor out on the frontline saving   towards economization, they see
 consumer (B2C), business to   and sellers on Facebook have                          Exceptional customer service from                     lives, there are as many as 10 others      no harm in using products that   Come What
 business (B2B), consumer to   increased multifold during the   transactions take    most of these sellers has gained                      who have stopped doing regular hours       have been used a few times but
 consumer (C2C), mobile   pandemic, but that is not to   place each year from        the trust of all those stuck home                     at their chambers thanks to the            still has enough life in them to   May
 commerce (M-Commerce) and   say that the number was any                             and looking for necessary wares.                      pandemic. What also plays a part in        last them through their time of   Everything in life is fluid and
 Facebook commerce   less significant even before the   the E-commerce               Sellers have also seized the                          their decision to not hold chambers        need. This includes everything   susceptible to change. Commerce
 (F-Commerce). Business to   arrival of the new normal.   website.                   opportunity to deliver to homes                       physically is the lack of patients.        from used books, loved clothes   is no different. What was once a
 consumer commerce is easy to   Mobile commerce is simply an                         those products that were until                        Non-covid patients, unless in a state of   that no longer, jewelry bought on   simple barter has come a long
 understand as it follows the   evolution of tradition for                           now not delivered home, like                          emergency, prefer not going to hospitals                                way to finally rest at virtual
 conventional practice of buying   certain business sectors like                     groceries and medicine. The sector                    teeming with covid patients. They                                       trade. No doubt, this too is
 A buzz word in the world   from a business or manufacturer.   the banking sector and the   confirm sales and have laid out   that has possibly gleaned the   choose to stay home and call the                     temporary and will change.
 of commerce,   Business to business   financial sector in general as it   detailed supply and delivery   most advantage from this         doctors over telephone. Doctors have                                    However, what makes the country
 E-commerce moves away   e-commerce however, is a   deals with mobile payments   systems for seamless service.   pandemic situation is the delivery   managed to find a silver lining to this                      nearly 10 billion takas each year
 from the orthodox   slightly different model of   and mobile banking.   The entire process is run mostly   sector. Door to door service has   awful situation in the form of                                      is significant enough to be mused
 methods of buying and                                 by housewives and women who   been availed by a staggering                          telemedicine where patients can take                                    upon and discussed at length.
 selling and does the   E-commerce                     want to put their             number of people due to                               appointments with them online by                                        Bangladesh is a developing
 same activity online. The                             entrepreneurial skills to use.   restrictions placed on getting out                 paying them through mobile payment                                      country. While we hoped to be a
 World Wide Web is vast   BC (Before                   E-commerce has given them a   of homes and suddenly, the                            options like Bkash. While patients still                                middle income nation by 2021,
 and thus offers a bigger   Corona)                    platform through which they   delivery service became an                            need to visit the hospital facilities for                               the pandemic has forced us to
 marketplace for buyers                                can attract and connect with   essential service rather than a                      running tests, most of the diagnosis                                    retrace our steps, pause, and
 and sellers to come   Online businesses had been on   like-minded customers.        simple matter of convenience, and                     can take place over video calls. While                                  re-evaluate our economy and its
 together and do business   the rise in Bangladesh before   Imitating the layout of Amazon   delivery men became unsung                    not ideal, the pandemic has given                                       loopholes. However, Bangladesh
 thanks to local,   the pandemic, with women           and Barnes and Noble,         heroes without capes. Delivery                        doctors and patients with trivial                                       is resilient and ambitious, traits
 traditional marketplaces.   entrepreneurs behind the   Rokomari.com has come forth   apps that thus far sold only food                    problems or routine issues a means to                                   that we can see in our topic of
 It draws on financial   steady climb of the           to sell Bangla and English    now expanded to deliver parcels                       continue the doctor-patient relationship                                e-commerce. What was once a
 technologies such as   phenomenon. According to the   books. Following in the       and medicine too, becoming a one                      and service even while maintaining                                      foreign concept has not only been
 electronic funds transfers   e-commerce association, there   footsteps of Amazon, is the   ‘site’ fits all platforms.                     distance and ensuring each other's         a whim and no longer wanted, to   understood by the entrepreneurs
 and management   are about 8000 or more               Bangladeshi Jadroo.com, selling   The pandemic has also helped                      safety.                                    baby food processors, walkers   of this country but embraced and
 strategies such as supply   e-commerce pages on Facebook   a variety of homeware and   mobile commerce to gain                                                                       and other expensive things that   juiced out to the maximum.
 chain management and   only. From baby care goods to   other goods. Other platforms   momentum. Bangladesh has had                        International and                          are essential but grown out of as   Thousands of apps get written
 inventory management   dresses to accessories to      like Daraz.com have also done   mobile payment apps like Bkash                                                                 fast.                        and launched each day and
 systems. It relies on an   electronics, women have    well in Bangladesh, despite not   and Rocket for a while now. The                   National B2C and                           Another great example of C2C   mostly all of them serve to make
 intricately woven door to   stepped up to supplement their   being local sites. Aarong,   pandemic has given rise to the                  C2C E-commerce                             e-commerce is the concept of   the lives of their users easier or
 door delivery system   earnings and capitalize on the   Ecstasy and Cats Eye are a few   new normal of cashless                                                                      Airbnb. Home owners post their   more interesting. While reigning
 which serves as a   comfort and convenience of        local clothes brands that have   transactions, making apps like                     Certain apps like Ali.express and          homes online and invite      ideas like Uber and Amazon are
 backbone to this   the buyers to shop from home.      laid the foundation for online   Bkash and Rocket more and more                     Amazon allow customers in Bangladesh       vacationers to live in them. These   still foreign, apps like Pathao
 relatively new9, yet   Surely and steadily, these     clothing stores and others have   successful. Previously cash heavy                 to order and receive goods from other      homes may be uninhabited by   have emerged from the
 exponentially growing   entrepreneurs have taken      confidently followed suit.    transactions like paying cab fares                    countries by paying a small shipment       the owners or shared by owners,   masterminds of this very country
 field.      advantage of platforms such                                             and paying for food delivery are                      surcharge. Thanks to the pandemic,         at a time when holiday makers   and are making us proud all over
             as Facebook to go live, show              Thanks to the wide variety of   also seen to be using these apps                    and the closing down of theatres           decide to pay and live in them.   the world now. Therefore it would
             off their wares, receive                  goods, exceptional customer   to avoid hand to hand transfer.                       indefinitely, online platforms like iFlix   Usually more personal and   not be overly ambitious to
             feedback, and answer queries.             service and unwavering quality   Online banking has gained even                     have cropped up to satiate the             homelier than hotel rooms,   assume that come what may,
             They have drawn on the                    of goods, more and more       more popularity as these times                        entertainment needs of the audience.       vacationers now have whole   e-commerce in Bangladesh is here
             wonders of mobile commerce                customers have chosen to order   call for distancing rather than                    Following in the footsteps of global       apartments and houses at their   to evolve and stay around for a
             to receive advance payment to             in, rather than step out of their                                                   stalwart Netflix, the Bangali iFlix has    disposal. Homes are advertised   significant amount of time.
                                                       homes.                        queueing up for financial

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