<figure><img width="960" height="640" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181116/636be0ed9c7e80680e083e1djpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Photo: MONIKA DEUPALA</figcaption></figure>Infi Store had just begun its operation when the government announced a nationwide lockdown in March to contain the spread of coronavirus. Eight months later, the company with its out-of-the-box marketting strategy for delivery in partnership with Pathao ride service, has boomed.Infi’s collaboration with Miniso and innovative schemes like home delivery of live mountain goats and chicken for Dasain, were all the  rage with customers who were wary of venturing to markets because of Covid-19.“We surprised ourselves, our business picked up because of the pandemic fears,” explained Yeshu Thakali of Infi Store. While Infi was the right idea at the right time in <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepals-budding-e-commerce-ecosystem/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nepal’s nascent e-commerce ecosystem</a>, pre-existing establishments like Daraz and Sasto Deal continue to dominate the online shopping market. Daraz, which is a subsidiary of China’s Alibaba, this year launched a pandemic iteration of its <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/daraz-finds-nepalis-still-shy-to-shop-online/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">11.11 shopping festival</a> timed for Tihar, announcing heavy discounts on products with jacket advertising in all Kathmandu dailies and portals on Wednesday. For the third year in a row, 11.11 has taken urban middle class Nepal by storm. <figure><img width="640" height="360" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181116/636be0f09c7e80680e083e1ejpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Lino Ahlering, Managing Director of Daraz.</figcaption></figure>“For us, 11.11 is the biggest sale day in the world led by Alibaba and every November eleventh is a learning process," Lino Ahlering, Managing Director of <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/business/daraz-creating-change/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Daraz</a> told Nepali Times.Indeed, Daraz seems to have learnt from mishandling of 11.11 delivery in past years. “2018 was slow, 2019 was fast, 2020 will be much much faster,” Ahlering said. “We are learning from our past mistakes and to rectify them we have added 700 people only for delivery and 200 extra for customer services.” Because of early warning and experience about the Covid-19 pandemic from sister companies in China, Singapore and other South Asian markets, Daraz appears to have been better prepared to take advantage of the lockdown and pandemic. Another online shopping company that has seen unexpected growth during the past months is Sasto Deal, which recently partnered with India’s Flipkart. When Sasto Deal Started out in 2011, Nepal’s Internet penetration rate was only 9%, it has now grown to 60% and is rising rapidly. “The e-commerce potential for Nepal looks more promising than ever, and the Covid-19 crisis with the spread of the Internet has opened up new arenas, including outside Kathmandu Valley,” says Sasto Deal’s co-founder Amun Thapa.Daraz came after <a href="https://www.sastodeal.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sasto Deal</a>  and with its aggressive promotion, took the online retail market by storm. After tying up with Alibaba, it has also benefited from the experience of the larger group with global discounting events like 11.11, which has become a household word and many Nepalis now look forward to the festival sale.Despite the Covid-19 crisis, <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/outdated-laws-limited-ecommerce-hold-back-tech-industry%20,3547" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">e-commerce</a> companies have pulled out all stops to gain trust from Nepal’s customers, traditionally wary of shopping online and restricted by micro-credit payment restrictions. Collaboration with international partners, India’s Flipkart for Sasto Deal, and China’s Alibaba for Daraz have helped with technology and promotion skills.“Nepal’s culture matches with India so much more, and it was a feasible idea to get in products from Flipkart,” explained Thapa. “Competition is always good and it makes the ecosystem healthy and professional, and competing with an Alibaba affiliate was a huge challenge and also a big learning experience.”Indeed, <a href="https://www.flipkart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Flipkart</a> has the experience of competing with the global giant online store Amazon in India. Both Thapa and Ahlering believe that the Nepal online retail market is big enough for both of them, and has the potential for tremendous growth. If it wasn’t, they say, the international partners would not have joined in.Ahlering of Daraz said that in a developing market like Nepal, there are always challenges to make the whole e-commerce ecosystem much more professional. “Alibaba would have never invested if it did not see a potential here in Nepal. We are very bullish about the market, a lot of people get access to products and that is a win-win situation for the e-commerce market," he added.Sasto Deal recently also got a $1 million investment from the Dolma Impact Fund to help the company achieve a milestone target of Rs1 billion in annual revenue within the next 18 months.Watching the two giants of e-commerce is Yeshu Thakali from Infi Store, and he thinks the two were equipped with technical knowhow and experience of online retail to dive right into the market and seize the opportunity offered by the lockdown, just as his delivery startup did. However, the Covid-19 crisis has also presented new obstacles for e-commerce, the growth is not matched by government policies and laws which have not caught up with the age of online commerce.But if the government can get its act together, there is one important lesson from this year’s pandemic crisis and the festival season -- online shopping is here, not just to stay, but also grow dramatically in Nepal in the coming years.

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Nepal e-shopping booms under Covid-19

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109171148/636bd9cc9c7e80680e080232jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1513" height="1019"/><figcaption>All photos: BIKRAM RAI</figcaption></figure>With Dasain only two weeks way, people in Kathmandu are fully in festive mode, and many are forgoing safety precautions even as Nepal recorded the highest ever daily total for Covid-19 cases.Of the 4,364 new cases nationwide on Thursday, 2,540 were in Kathmandu Valley. Twelve people have died in the past 24 hours, bringing the total fatalities to 590.The Dasain Bazar in Asan and different parts of the capital this week saw huge crowds shopping in narrow alleyways, many of them without masks and even those with masks wore them around their chins.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109171148/636bd9cf9c7e80680e080233jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1883" height="1256"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109171148/636bd9d39c7e80680e080234jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1716" height="1119"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109171148/636bd9d69c7e80680e080235jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1280"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>But even as Nepal's total confirmed cases near the 100,000 milestone, and fatalities cross 600, sections of the public are ignoring the pandemic. Government response is described by critics as being confused and ad hoc, while the citizens appear to be behaving recklessly. This has turned the Valley into a hotbed of the virus, and has dragged Nepal headlong into a health emergency.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109171148/636bd9da9c7e80680e080236jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1853" height="1235"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109171148/636bd9dd9c7e80680e080237jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1862" height="1242"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109171148/636bd9e09c7e80680e080238jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1274" height="909"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109171148/636bd9e39c7e80680e080239jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1443" height="1050"><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109171148/636bd9e79c7e80680e08023ajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1843" height="1229"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109171148/636bd9eb9c7e80680e08023bjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1866" height="1280"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109171148/636bd9ee9c7e80680e08023cjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1466" height="1041"><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109171148/636bd9f19c7e80680e08023djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1371" height="965"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>The fact that Kathmandu Valley recorded an excess of 10,000 cases in a week forced the Health Ministry’s Jageshwor Gautam in his daily press briefing on Thursday to repeatedly request people to celebrate this year’s Dasin-Tihar-Chaat wherever they are at present, to prevent them from taking Covid-19 to their villages.

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Dasain crowds disregard Covid-19 warnings

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121112/636b8bd69c7e80680e06b2c6jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1364"/><figcaption>Photos: MONIKA DEUPALA</figcaption></figure>Bhat Bhateni supermarket chain has been allowed to open all seven outlets in Kathmandu starting 18 April with strict physical distancing measures.The stores will be open from 10Am to 7PM and only 10 persons will be allowed in at a time. Shoppers have been told to buy and pay quickly.Pictured here are locals standing outside the supermarket in Bhaktapur while maintaining social distance of at least a metre.Nepal is on its 26thday of nationwide lockdown and has recorded 30 COVID-19 cases so far with two recoveries. Some 15,800 tests have been conducted across the country.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121112/636b8bd99c7e80680e06b2c7jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="882"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121112/636b8bdb9c7e80680e06b2c8jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1366"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121112/636b8bde9c7e80680e06b2c9jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="416"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121112/636b8be19c7e80680e06b2cajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="426"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121112/636b8be49c7e80680e06b2cbjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1365"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121112/636b8be89c7e80680e06b2ccjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="436"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121112/636b8beb9c7e80680e06b2cdjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121112/636b8bee9c7e80680e06b2cejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="4096" height="2730">Also: <a style="letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/unto-the-third-week-of-nepal-lockdown/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">On to the third week of Nepal lockdown</a>

Shopping Therapy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIIsWYzgv4c&amp;feature=youtu.beOn the well-lit shelves of <a href="http://localprojectnepal.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Local Project</a>, <a href="https://www.timro.org/timro-concepstore">Timro Concept Store</a> or <a href="http://alchi.co/">Alchi Ko Pasal</a>, shoppers encounter tastefully arranged rows of bags, clothes, games, jewellery and stationery designed and created by Nepali artisans.All these items have in common that they are minimalist, refined and chic. Many incorporate traditional Nepali themes into contemporary uses, taking Nepali handicrafts beyond their familiar forms. The social media posts of the companies that produce them show the products in action, creatively place them in everyday situations, and use them as a platform to promote a larger idea. This week, Nepali Times profiles some of these elegant new brands.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101136/636b74fd9c7e80680e0623c3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1383"/>Double Ribbed Woolen Hat(Lumu Wear)Gone are the days when wool was scratchy. Lumu Wear’s beanies, scarves and mittens are delightfully soft. Woven in sheep’s wool and lined with warm fleece, the Double-Ribbed Woolen Hat is available in an array of colours. Lumu Wear’s latest ‘Love is Love’ campaign featured straight, interethnic, inter-caste and LGBTQI+ couples and friends wearing their products while in an embrace or gazing at each other -- warmed by their love and the knitwear.A pity that winter is nearly over.Price: Rs800Available in: ash gray, brick brown, leaf green, midnight black,mustard yellow, muted beige, olive green, teal blueMakara USB (Allaré)Traditional Nepali iconography meets the digital age in <a href="https://allare.co/portfolio/usb/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Allaré’s Makara USB</a>. The makar is a half-terrestrial, half-aquatic creature that is the vehicle of the water god Varuna and a guardian of gateways in Newa and other South Asian cultures. It features prominently in Kathmandu Valley’s traditional devotional art forms, including on stone water-spouts and Rato Machhendranath’s chariot. Allaré has engraved a makar on the wood that houses its USB.Price: Rs2,000Specifications: 16GB, 3.0 USB<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101136/636b74ff9c7e80680e0623c4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="726"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101136/636b75029c7e80680e0623c5jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="641" height="800">Dhampus Backpack (Yatri Supply)<a href="https://yatrisupply.com/product/dhampus-13l/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dhampus 13L</a> is a go-to backpack for city dwellers and spontaneous adventurers. It is lightweight and waterproof and it offers multiple spacious pockets. The smaller front pocket is easily accessible and the perfect place to keep your frequently used items; the larger pocket has a compartment to fit a 14” laptop and slots to keep your knick knacks organised.Price: Rs2,800Colours: Grey, Space BlackCold-Pressed Juice (Nochini)Instead of guzzling sugary, additive-filled canned or boxed juices, try <a href="https://www.no-chini.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nochini</a>’s healthier, sugar-free and preservative-free cold-pressed ones. They come in 13 different fruit and vegetable combinations, including the Hydrator (watermelon and chia seed), Beet It (beet and apple), and Revitalise (carrot, cucumber and pomegranate). When the company started in 2018, the juices came in glass bottles, but they were later sold in BPA-free plastic. Now the customer-favourite 250-ml glass bottles are back, so you can drink Nochini without worrying about creating a lot of plastic pollution.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101136/636b75049c7e80680e0623c6jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="640">Nochini also offers a one- to three-day juice cleanse that comes with detailed instructions. Also try their yogurt-based smoothies, which will energize you for the day. If you'd like, Nochini will even create a dairy-free option for you. The company will soon be launching +977wtr, a line of bottled water, and The Juice Wala, a more affordable version of its flagship cold-pressed juices.Price: Rs300 per bottleJuice Cleanse: Rs1800 (one day/three juices), Rs3600 (two days/12 juices), Rs5400(three days/18 juices)READ ALSO: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/upscaling-upcycling/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upscaling Upcycling</a> by Sanghamitra Subba<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101136/636b75069c7e80680e0623c7jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="560">Planters(Kala Kathmandu)<a href="https://www.facebook.com/kalakathmandu/?ref=br_rs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kala Kathmandu</a>’s minimalistic animal-shaped planters provide a cute home for small plants and succulents. The ceramic planters come in the form of beige-and-brown cats, tan capybaras, tan-and-grey elephants, and beige-and-white sheep. The company also sells a beautiful, earth-inspired espresso tea set, colourful vases and contemporary wall-clocks.Price: Rs950Payoo (Kazi Play)<a href="http://kazistudios.com/kazi-play/payoo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Payoo</a>, Kazi Play’s latest card game, tests customers’ reflexes and knowledge of Nepal’s endangered animal species. Suitable for players of any age, Payoo is a great way to learn about wildlife while enjoying some friendly competition. It consists of 57 cards with colourful<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101136/636b75089c7e80680e0623c8jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="989" height="387">illustrations of animals like the Bengal tiger and the Himalyan tahr, and players must find the match between their card and the card on deck. Kazi Play also has board games like Samrajya, which takes players on the journey of Prithvi Narayan Shah’s conquest of Kathmandu Valley, or Bhatti, a fun drinking game that can be an extension to Samrajya.Price: Rs600READ ALSO: <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=18657#.Xk5cfjIzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arniko's skateboards</a>, Paavan Mathema<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101136/636b750a9c7e80680e0623c9jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="266">Earrings (Sí by Sichu Khairgoli)Sí presents bold, minimalist, and geometrical handcrafted silver jewellery. These earrings are a favourite of designer <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Si-By-Sichu-Khairgoli-1882241788569155/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sichu Khairgoli</a>, who sees them as embodying the refined simplicity and contemporary nature of the brand. All jewellery is made with genuine silver and semi-precious and precious gems from Nepal, India and Thailand. Khairgoli also custom-designs jewellery.Price: Rs6,800Price Range: Rs2,000-Rs15,000Skateboard decks (Arniko)​<a style="background-color: #ffffff; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://arniko.myshopify.com/collections/decks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arniko</a>’s sleek, modern and carved decks are not just skateboards, but works of art. Kathmandu Valley artisans intricately engrave the Indian Apple and Eucalyptus finish of the Canadian maplewood boards. You can opt for the standard geometrical designs with Arniko insignia or ask for custom work. Arniko also makes trendy apparel, bags and furniture.Price Range: Rs4,000-9000Variations: Pointed, Curved<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101136/636b750c9c7e80680e0623cajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="800"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101136/636b750e9c7e80680e0623cbjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="800"><blockquote>Premium Dark Chocolate Mustang Apples and Roasted Pistachios (Nana’s Delight)<a href="https://www.facebook.com/nanasdelight/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nana’s Delight</a>’s Mustang Apples and Roasted Pistachios variety is the first of its new Premium Dark Chocolate line. While the cacao is imported from the Philippines and India, the Mustang apples are from Jumla and the nuts from around Nepal. The apples add a sweet, tangy bite and the roasted pistachios give a pleasing crunch to the 70% dark chocolate bar.</blockquote>Price: Rs90 (small)/ Rs450 (large)

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