During the January lockdown, Ukrainians began to buy goods online 1.5 times more often, while the number of ads decreased only 1.5% compared to the same period last year, according to analytics from the online platform OLX.

As noted in a report by the company's analytical service, distributed on Friday, data for analytics was taken into account for the period from December 9, 2020 (the date of the January lockdown announcement) to January 13, 2021, compared to the same period last year, when there were no restrictions.

During this time, the Ukrainians have made more than 300,000 orders with the OLX Delivery service, while last year – only 205,000. Also, during this period, the number of online orders in the five most popular categories grew by 46%.

Thus, the men's clothing category showed the largest increase in popularity online, having grown by 2.2 times, to 136,200 orders with an average check of UAH 527 (compared to 60,800 orders and an average check of UAH 543 in 2019).

The men's shoes category expanded by 94%, to 113,900 orders (the average check is UAH 820); electronics: components and accessories grew by 74%, to 130,400 orders (an average check of UAH 2,700 compared with UAH 1,500 in 2019).

The smartphones category for the specified period increased 63%, to 105,700 orders with an average check of UAH 2,700.

The five most popular categories in 2020 also included children's toys (104,500 orders, an average check of UAH 515), displacing accessories for mobile phones (65,300 orders and an average check of UAH 589).

"We recorded a similar dynamics during the first lockdown in the spring of 2020. It can be noted that Ukrainians have begun to form new consumer habits related to quarantine realities: buyers want to have constant access to goods, avoiding the feeling of shortage. The BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick Up in Store) system is also gaining popularity, when businesses also switched to the online ordering mode," Director of the OLX customer service department in Ukraine and Central Asia Ihor Syrovatko said.

At the same time, according to OLX, the activity of sellers on the Internet remained practically unchanged. According to OLX analysts, online trading will remain the most predictable direction for small and medium-sized businesses.

The new habit of online shopping for electronics, clothing, footwear, food and medicine, which has arisen in the realities of quarantine, according to the platform, will only strengthen in 2021.

"The shopping experience will be an important part of their business strategies. Shoppers expect ordering, payment, and shipping to be intuitive, fast, secure, and enjoyable. Entrepreneurs will need to automate and simplify the shopping process, create unique offers and focus on bonuses to keep the customer," OLX said.

The company also said that the global crisis caused by the pandemic has become the driving force behind responsible shopping and conscious consumption.