● After Zomato, now e-commerce firms will also be able to mark deliveries as essential
● The ‘essential' tag ensures the smooth delivery of critical goods and supplies to areas under lockdown
ClickPost, India’s largest and Asia's second-largest logistics intelligence platform, has announced the introduction of an ‘Essential’ goods option on its platform. This feature will enable e-commerce companies to mark specific items and orders as essential, allowing courier partners to deliver these products to COVID-restricted areas across the country.
This announcement comes at a time when India has witnessed a record rise in COVID-19 cases. The second wave of the virus sweeping across the country has led to widespread lockdowns and localised micro-containment zones. As a result, many families are left stranded and unable to access vital household supplies, medical items, and other essential goods.
This situation has also had a wider impact through its effect on businesses and industries. The numerous restrictions placed on deliveries to areas under a lockdown frequently result in vital shipments – including medicines, ventilators, and other COVID-adjacent supplies – being sent back as RTO (Return to Origin) orders.
ClickPost’s introduction of the ‘Essential’ option aims to directly address these issues. Through the use of a new API integration provided by shipping partners, e-commerce businesses will now be able to tag specific orders as essential while generating individual airway bills (AWB). These orders can then be shipped and safely reach their destination in accordance with COVID-19 restrictions.
Although the primary purpose of this feature is to ensure the uninterrupted shipment of essential items during the pandemic, this feature also has enormous applicability in a post-COVID future. Allowing partners to categorise and prioritise critical shipments will aid in any situation where restrictions hinder order.
ClickPost is introducing new features on a weekly basis, to make everything from categorising orders before shipping to checking the quality of orders being returned more efficient and easily managed.
New Delhi, May 13, 2021
