E-commerce was one big flop years ago when it hit India. Imagine a time when I paid Rs 50 for 30 mins at a cyber cafe to surf, who even thought I would spend money to surf and then buy without proper internet banking and no clue how good were the courier services at that time.
Anyway forget the past. Why online shopping today?
1. Absolute access to net- You have access to the internet anywhere and anytime and we all are now only virtually connected in most cases. Most places also have WiFi now.
2. Convenient Pay options- Its not just about having a credit card, you can pay cash on delivery (COD). That reduces the risk factor of 'ohh I paid now don't know if I will get my parcel or not?' or even the fear of sharing your bank details online. Imagine, www.myntra.com doing such a huge media advertisement about having COD on its purchases check http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vCnL17KHpA&feature=youtube_gdata
3. Options Galore- For the kind of options I get in a single category is mind boggling. I mean how many shops I would have to visit to see such a number and variety? Can you physically go through 2000 pairs of shoes? Online shops like www.jabong.com, www.urbantouch.com, etc. have a large collection of products.
4. Physical Shopping of Past aiding online shopping- There is a immediate connect to brands that we have purchased in the past. Like if I have to pick footwear I would be a little more comfortable to buy Catwalk which I have purchased before and aware of the size and fit. The fit is something that is very essential especially in products such as innerwear. Go through the size charts carefully before shopping. Most brands now having their own online shops to aid their existing customers enjoy online shopping for e.g. http://www.shoppersstop.com.
5. Less Time Consuming- Since we are now more or less net savvy, browsing, comparing, choosing is just a click away and so is online shopping. Unlike physical shopping where we have to plan, travel, scout and decide. This is very good in case of buying mobile phones where you can immediately compare prices and features. Check www.flipkart.com
6. Better Return Policies- The fact that we don't physically touch and feel the product before shopping online, the assurance of return policy really helps. I actually returned an entire set of cooking utensils purchased through
http://www.starcj.com because of bad quality, but the good thing they came and picked it up and sent me the refund cheque. Though the entire refund process took over a month.
7. Best Offers- Online shopping usually not be based need shopping but could be about making best of the deals. Like I purchased a potli bag (which I was desiring to buy for a long time now) on http://www.craftsvilla.com/ramganj-mayor.html which is actually priced at Rs 250/- but they had a flash discount and I got it for just Rs 89/-. So, keep yourself in touch with these online shops their FB pages to grab such deals.
8. Dedicated Discounted Online Shops- They are officially selling brands on discount only. You can browse through them on daily basis. They have ongoing discounts every 3-4 days. You can register for their email alerts and you never know you could just buy what you always desired for an unbelievable price.
www.fashionandyou.com
www.99labels.com
9. Theme Online Shops- You are looking out for designer products, baby and kids products, handmade products, you have sites specially catering to each category also. Like www.hoopos.com and babyoye.com cater specifically to baby and kids products and have advertised well saying mom's can buy whatever they need just sitting at home and not worried about leaving or carrying their kid around to buy baby essentials. www.itshandmade.in sells only handmade products and www.craftsvilla.com is a place to explore Indian handicrafts.
10. Comparatively Cheap- If reviewed carefully, you save money which you otherwise would end of spending when you physically go out shopping on things like travelling, entertainment and food. Here you are sitting at home and doing your shopping. At an average you spend only about Rs50-Rs60 on basic domestic shipping which is very cheap considering you end up spending not less than Rs 100 even if you step out of home. And some websites offer free shipping too.
11. Anything from anywhere- You reside in a small town but now you could buy things that are available only in metros and not only that you can buy a product even residing abroad and get them delivered to you door step. Like Craftsvilla and shopo.in ship international
Ok, there are indeed a lot of benefits of shopping online and I personally do see a steady growth in the trend of shopping online. But what would happen to the huge malls that have come up recently. Im sure when it is about going out with friends, enjoying a day out, eating out, shopping would be a part of it. And I see people have a little larger trust factor now when it comes to online shopping which would benefit eCommerce immensely.
Being an online shopper myself, Ive seen a Flipside too..
1. Waiting period- Unlike physical shopping, you get the products there and then take them home or even wear them immediately, that is practically impossible online. Though www.fashionandyou.com has a section called Express sales where they promise shipping within 24 hrs, but that too is a waiting.
2. Fragile products- There is always a risk when shopping for fragile items. However good the packaging may be there is a risk involved, and this made lead to returning the products and refund, which spoils the whole fun of buying a thing. My bhabhi who is dealing in ceramics finds it a challenge to ship products beyond her local area because the products are fragile.
3. Photo based Viewing- You have to completely rely on the photos of the products and at times there is a discrepancy when it comes to actual material, size or colour. However, most cases there is a detailed description if not there are some sites where you can communicate with the seller and check on the product.
4. Undue Delays- Sharing my own experience. I wanted to send a Mother's Day gift to my mom residing in Bangalore. Shopped on craftsvilla and paid online, but the product reached her after 2 weeks. The reason being the address was far from the main city and the courier guys do not cater to that area. It was disappointing but post that I learnt and for my nephew's birthday I gave my brother's office address which was in the main city and the product reached exactly on his birthday.
There could be some disadvantages but definitely online shopping is going to be a life saver for people who are time stressed and location bound. Try and see it today itself...:-)
Happy Virtual Shopping..:-)
(psst... I personally support online shopping as I myself have 4 online shops...hehhee ;-)
Anyway forget the past. Why online shopping today?
1. Absolute access to net- You have access to the internet anywhere and anytime and we all are now only virtually connected in most cases. Most places also have WiFi now.
2. Convenient Pay options- Its not just about having a credit card, you can pay cash on delivery (COD). That reduces the risk factor of 'ohh I paid now don't know if I will get my parcel or not?' or even the fear of sharing your bank details online. Imagine, www.myntra.com doing such a huge media advertisement about having COD on its purchases check http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vCnL17KHpA&feature=youtube_gdata
3. Options Galore- For the kind of options I get in a single category is mind boggling. I mean how many shops I would have to visit to see such a number and variety? Can you physically go through 2000 pairs of shoes? Online shops like www.jabong.com, www.urbantouch.com, etc. have a large collection of products.
7. Best Offers- Online shopping usually not be based need shopping but could be about making best of the deals. Like I purchased a potli bag (which I was desiring to buy for a long time now) on http://www.craftsvilla.com/ramganj-mayor.html which is actually priced at Rs 250/- but they had a flash discount and I got it for just Rs 89/-. So, keep yourself in touch with these online shops their FB pages to grab such deals.
8. Dedicated Discounted Online Shops- They are officially selling brands on discount only. You can browse through them on daily basis. They have ongoing discounts every 3-4 days. You can register for their email alerts and you never know you could just buy what you always desired for an unbelievable price.
www.fashionandyou.com
www.99labels.com
11. Anything from anywhere- You reside in a small town but now you could buy things that are available only in metros and not only that you can buy a product even residing abroad and get them delivered to you door step. Like Craftsvilla and shopo.in ship international
Ok, there are indeed a lot of benefits of shopping online and I personally do see a steady growth in the trend of shopping online. But what would happen to the huge malls that have come up recently. Im sure when it is about going out with friends, enjoying a day out, eating out, shopping would be a part of it. And I see people have a little larger trust factor now when it comes to online shopping which would benefit eCommerce immensely.
Being an online shopper myself, Ive seen a Flipside too..
1. Waiting period- Unlike physical shopping, you get the products there and then take them home or even wear them immediately, that is practically impossible online. Though www.fashionandyou.com has a section called Express sales where they promise shipping within 24 hrs, but that too is a waiting.
3. Photo based Viewing- You have to completely rely on the photos of the products and at times there is a discrepancy when it comes to actual material, size or colour. However, most cases there is a detailed description if not there are some sites where you can communicate with the seller and check on the product.
4. Undue Delays- Sharing my own experience. I wanted to send a Mother's Day gift to my mom residing in Bangalore. Shopped on craftsvilla and paid online, but the product reached her after 2 weeks. The reason being the address was far from the main city and the courier guys do not cater to that area. It was disappointing but post that I learnt and for my nephew's birthday I gave my brother's office address which was in the main city and the product reached exactly on his birthday.
There could be some disadvantages but definitely online shopping is going to be a life saver for people who are time stressed and location bound. Try and see it today itself...:-)
Happy Virtual Shopping..:-)
(psst... I personally support online shopping as I myself have 4 online shops...hehhee ;-)
1 comment:
Good explanation...
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