The Commerce Ministry has kicked off applications that allow customers to buy goods online and enjoy delivery services from smart traditional retail shops, another effort to deal with the impact of Covid-19.
Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said the new online platform for traditional small retail shops is at the ministry's website, while the Digital Government Development Agency has a chatbot line (@dgachatbot). Customers in Bangkok can buy online and have delivery from 136 smart traditional retail shops.
"The virus has changed consumer behaviour and decreased supply of consumer goods. This new platform will help consumers search for traditional retail shops close to their home that provide delivery services," he said. "We hope it will help not only small shops, but also consumers to survive during this crisis."
Mr Jurin said the ministry aims to promote the online platform and delivery to cover 20,000 shops nationwide this year.
Some 2,655 shops are registered on the platform, with 136 shops ready to provide delivery services.
Earlier last week, as part of the government's efforts to lower people's cost of living and curb the coronavirus outbreak, the ministry relaunched 200 mobile grocery stores to sell essential consumer goods in Greater Bangkok.
The ministry also established two ad-hoc committees to supervise the prices of consumer goods at both the national and provincial level to prevent hoarding and profiteering by traders.
After Greater Bangkok the ministry also plans to introduce 400-500 mobile grocery stores in provincial areas.
Consumer products include packaged rice, eggs, vegetable oil, refined sugar, instant noodles, tinned fish and hand sanitiser gel.
The mobile grocery stores operated in pickups will peddle consumer goods along sois and in villages and communities.
In 2018, the ministry initiated mobile grocery stores as part of efforts to enhance the competitiveness of pickups that sell consumer goods.
The mobile grocery stores complement the ministry's Thong Fah Pracha Rat low-priced shops.