Shoppers head online for Diwali

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It seems that shopping websites are successfully luring customers with lucrative offers and home delivery. That’s why online shoppers aren’t missing the fun of visiting crowded markets or even attempting to get a feel of the product they are spending on. According to an Assocham survey on rising sales of consumer

electronics and other products, the online shopping industry may touch `2,800 crore during the ongoing festive season.
Ishita Swarup, CEO & co-founder of brandmile.com, doesn’t find the online shopping movement unusual. “There has been a fairly upward trend internationally and India is not far behind. One-third of Christmas shopping also happens online,” she says. Ishita adds that shopping sites not only ensure convenience, but also variety.
Online shopaholics couldn’t agree more. Sakshi Arora, 27, shudders at the thought of visiting a market two weeks before Diwali. “Gone are the days when it was fun visiting the markets during the festive season. Who has time for those inconvenient visits not only to malls, but also markets when you have been working the whole day and have just a few days to buy gifts,” says Sakshi, who works with an MNC.
So, Sakshi sits comfortably with a mug of coffee along with her husband and selects gift options from a bunch of sites she’s regular at.
“Normally, September is the slump month for sales because of Shraad, but interestingly, this time, we didn’t experience any dip in sales. And we have seen an increase of 60-70 per cent sales in the last one month,” informs Ishita.
According to Arindham Bose, managing director and chief customer officer, timtara.com, which deals with consumer electronics says that there hasn’t been a change in mindset but a change in situation.
He explains why the sale of branded consumer goods like mobile phones, cameras, watches and even TV and washing machines online has skyrocketed. “A working couple has good money to spend, but little time to shop. But the availability of Internet comes as a boon for them. Then shopping hubs like ours not only offer best prices, but also manufactures warranty. That’s why our sales have doubled during the festival season,” he says.
Interestingly, the shopping site also opens a window for high-end brands for small towns where it’s unlikely for the brands to open their outlets.
“Almost all shopping sites have a firm customer base in two-and-three tier cities which are good spenders but don’t have access to high-end goods,” adds Arindham.