The Covid-19 lockdown has changed the Sri Lankan consumer habits just like the rest of the world, Dr Rohantha Athukorala Country Head for the Global Artificial Intelligence Company for perception and strategy development Clootrack Sri Lanka, Maldives and Pakistan told the Rotary Club of Metropolitan at the Hilton Hotel.
Quoting the research study done by Kantar Sri Lanka Post the lockdown in Sri Lanka the insight is that the E consumer basket has increased from $11 to $38 in Sri Lanka. This has been driven by E-payment, E-Banking, online medical consultation and E sports which are the new lifestyle we see in Sri Lanka. This means that the E commerce eco systems will have a significant change Post Covid and the private sector must change its business model, he said.
“We are also hearing of a second wave of the deadly Covid-19 virus in China and in Chennai and there are clusters appearing in Sri Lanka too, which means we must be ready for a second wave,” said Dr Athukorala who also heads the Rotary Stop the Spreads Covid-19 project for Sri Lanka & Maldives.
“The good news is that over 200 companies are in the process of being certified for a ‘Covid-19 Control Environment’ Certification by the Sri Lanka Standards Institute which means the companies are putting up the safeguards for a probable 2nd wave which is prudent decision making.”
“Top companies like Akbar Brothers have gone on to position the company as the first tea company globally to be certified as a Covid-19 Control Environment means that we in Sri Lanka are taking the high ground globally in a wise manner,” Athukorala said,
Anantaya Resort and Spa recently announced globally that it is the first hotel property globally to get the Covid-19 Control Environment badge which put Sri Lanka on the global media.
He went in to explain how the LMRB/Kantar study reveal that 13% in Sri Lanka have tried online education, 12% have tried live broadcast through mobile media, 9% have got into data connection, 8% have tried online shopping, 7% have paid their bills using smart phones and a drastic change where 7% have practiced religious activities on line.
“This is the reality and based on this hard data, we in Sri Lanka must change so that we remain engaged with the Sri Lankan household,” he said. The Rotary Club of Metropolitan under the leadership of the business personality Ruwan Jinasena is driving a key project under the Stop the Spread project to certify the ‘Tuk Tuk’ community in the urban markets of Sri Lanka which is another first in Sri Lanka.
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