A shortage of commercial LPG cylinders has triggered panic buying of induction cooktops by retail consumers, leading to sold-out status on major e-commerce and quick-commerce platforms. This surge in demand has caused extended delivery timelines and prompted platforms to offer significant discounts on the appliances earlier in the week.
The cylinder shortage, due to a government pause in commercial supply, has forced many restaurants and food chains to reduce operations or shut down entirely. Some business owners report cylinders being sold on the black market at highly inflated prices.
The main topics covered are the surge in demand for induction cooktops, the resulting product shortages and delivery delays, the commercial LPG cylinder supply crisis, and the severe impact on the food service industry.
Induction cooktops are selling like hotcakes on ecommerce and quick commerce platforms after a shortage of commercial gas cylinders triggered panic buying by retail consumers.
As of Thursday, induction cooktops were unavailable on Amazon as well as quick commerce apps such as Zepto, Swiggy and Blinkit in major cities, including Bengaluru, New Delhi and Mumbai.
On Flipkart, meanwhile, delivery timelines for these cooktops have stretched to 8â10 days.
Earlier this week, quick commerce platforms were selling kitchen appliances at discounted prices amid a surge in demand.
On Tuesday, Eternal-owned Blinkit was offering discounts of up to 72% on cooktops. Swiggy's Instamart had discounts up to 60% on hobs, with some products already sold out. Zepto was offering up to 40% off on premium kitchen appliances, including induction stoves.
Demand for these products has surged as consumers are worried about the possible unavailability of LPG cylinders for domestic use after the government paused supply for commercial cylinders. That stoppage has resulted in thousands of restaurants, cloud kitchens and quick service restaurants (QSR) chains shutting down or reducing operations across the country.
Well-known chains such as Curefoods, Biriyani Blues and FreshMenu have reduced their operations or closed kitchens in certain areas.
âWe havenât got gas from our suppliers for the last 3-5 days. We donât even know if it will take three days, 10 days or months for the situation to normalise,â said Rashmi Daga, founder and CEO of FreshMenu.
Some small and large food chain owners said cylinders were being sold on the black market for Rs 2,000-3,000 in Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru.
As of Thursday, induction cooktops were unavailable on Amazon as well as quick commerce apps such as Zepto, Swiggy and Blinkit in major cities, including Bengaluru, New Delhi and Mumbai.
On Flipkart, meanwhile, delivery timelines for these cooktops have stretched to 8â10 days.
Earlier this week, quick commerce platforms were selling kitchen appliances at discounted prices amid a surge in demand.
On Tuesday, Eternal-owned Blinkit was offering discounts of up to 72% on cooktops. Swiggy's Instamart had discounts up to 60% on hobs, with some products already sold out. Zepto was offering up to 40% off on premium kitchen appliances, including induction stoves.
Demand for these products has surged as consumers are worried about the possible unavailability of LPG cylinders for domestic use after the government paused supply for commercial cylinders. That stoppage has resulted in thousands of restaurants, cloud kitchens and quick service restaurants (QSR) chains shutting down or reducing operations across the country.
Well-known chains such as Curefoods, Biriyani Blues and FreshMenu have reduced their operations or closed kitchens in certain areas.
âWe havenât got gas from our suppliers for the last 3-5 days. We donât even know if it will take three days, 10 days or months for the situation to normalise,â said Rashmi Daga, founder and CEO of FreshMenu.
Some small and large food chain owners said cylinders were being sold on the black market for Rs 2,000-3,000 in Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru.
Meridiano
