Here are some of the reasons why online shopping is becoming so popular in India:
Online shopping was always popular in the west because of their good internet infrastructure, but gradually even that’s improving in India. Computer penetration is increasing, though its less compared to to other countries.
Compared to physical stores, its easier to show a lot of products online and also to easily search for any given product, and that’s why it was always a popular means in the west. Gradually its becoming popular in India as well because of improved internet connection.
Online stores can offer a wide range of choices, at least you can see them whereas in the shop that product may not be there. It offers many more advantages and the market in India offers a lot of scope for improvement.
That’s why most big retailers have sensed the opportunity and want to cash in on this prospect. There’s still some doubt when it comes to the security part and that’s why it makes sense to stick with the big players when shopping online in India.
Over time, the consumers will get educated, and it seems the popularity of online shopping in India is only going to increase.
Cash on Delivery Gives Confidence to Users To Do Online Shopping
So how does an online shopping store work and how are the products delivered?
Most people want to know what are the various ways in which the purchased product will be delivered at their doorstep when they shop online.
Usually, the two most common methods offered are paying online (by credit card or debit card), and the other one is ‘Cash against delivery’, where you pay when the product is delivered to your doorstep.
Delivery depends on availability of stock and also depends on where its to be delivered. If in stock it will be delivered in 2 to 3 days, else it can also take up-to ten days.
Most of these shopping sites having warehouses in major cities, from where the delivery of the product is fulfilled.
Cash on Delivery is Common
One of the more common methods of payment when doing online shopping in India is Cash on Delivery (COD). This is because a lot of people are not comfortable paying through credit card before they actually see the product.
Many find Cash on delivery to be more comfortable as they feel that this method is more safe as you actually get delivery of the product before paying them. This mode of payment was quite popular when dealing with products on eBay.
However, things are changing now and many are okay to pay through credit card on websites such a Amazon and FlipKart, as these online shopping merchants have good return-back policies, and lot of online shoppers in India have started trusting these brands.
Majority of Indians Now Prefer Online to In-Store Shopping
A recent survey now confirms, something that probably most of you might have already been observing, that majority of Indians now prefer online shopping instead of in-store purchases.
Although a significant number still value the in-store experience, more and more Indians feel that the online buying experience is better than the in-store experience. Another related finding confirms that the mobile device is becoming the primary driver of e-commerce in India. India and China are seen as the two countries where mobile commerce is becoming very important.
The greatest increase in mobile shopping is expected to come from China and India, where most consumers surveyed, said they will consider making more purchases from their tablets and smartphones going ahead.
“According to some industry players, over 50% of the orders are being placed through mobile apps, which is not only leading to substantial customer acquisition but also building customer loyalty for various brands. However, most mobile transactions so far are for entertainment, such as booking movie tickets and music downloads. This trend will change soon with more and more merchandise being ordered online,” PwC said.
Mobile shopping is seen to be not as fast and easy as shopping online from a computer. Some find it hard to navigate, and some are worried about security. Faster mobile internet connections and better designed apps could accelerate mobile commerce. Experts feel that players who demonstrate strong online performance and invested in building customer loyalty would benefit tremendously.
The survey findings show that the Indian online shopper is maturing fast and has expectations at par with global consumers.
