Whether it’s shopping for your day-to-day groceries, home products, electronic gadgets or revamping your entire wardrobe – today’s smart shoppers can do all of the above, from the comforts of their home. If the rise in e-shoppers in India is anything to go by, you may never have to go to the mall again. According to a survey by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), shopping trends of Indian consumers have witnessed a significant change this summer – online shopping has shown more than 155 per cent rise as compared to last year’s 85 per cent.
Online shopping is convenient, cheaper and gives the buyer an abundance of choice from around the world.
Says Narinder Singh, director of online portal Numero-Uno, “Shopping on the internet saves time, energy and money.
It provides more options in terms of brands, designs etc. Going to a mall or a store means spending more time commuting, wasting money on fuel and parking fee. Also, good deals aren’t always available in traditional shopping centres, vis-a-vis online stores.”
Saurabh Malik, Business Head, Indiatimes Shopping, adds, “Thanks to online shopping, today, a youngster from a relatively unknown town in India can buy top fashion brands and the latest smartphone in the market. E-shopping is driving a huge lot of aspirational youth from tier II and tier III towns to match their upcountry counterparts and save a good amount of money on top of it.”
Apart from heavy discounts; cus tomer-friendly policies, flexible delivery timelines and free returns make eshopping an irresistible option.
GET THE BEST DEALS
1. Use coupon or promotional codes: Apart from its convenience, one of the biggest reasons why people prefer shopping on the internet is that it gives you the opportunity to avail discounts all through the year, even when it isn’t sale season! What’s more, coupon codes help you save even more money.
How to get the code: Enter the merchant’s website with the word `coupon’ or `promotional code’, to get a discount on your product or on shipping costs or both. Since the discounts are often on select products, make sure the ones you have chosen fall under the `discount’ category. Apply the right code.
2. Ditch your shopping cart: If you aren’t in a rush to get your shop ping delivered immediately, once you have got all your products in the cart, save the cart and leave it for a day or two (don’t checkout and pay). The online portal will send you an added discount coupon to try to convince you to buy the cart!
3. Compare products to get the best deal: If you want to buy a phone or any other electronic gadget, go for price comparison websites that allow you to compare prices available on different websites. This will help you avail the best discount offer.
4. Scout social networking sites: Many shopping websites and por tals give away special discount coupons or announce their sales first on networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. This will give you a headstart.
5. Browse through customer re views: Most websites have a section under their products for feedback given by other customersusers. At times, a product may not be as it is displayed. The reviews help you make informed decisions. It’s always good to know whether the product you are buying is your money’s worth or not because with online shopping, people tend to buy things on a whim.
BEWARE OF…
A buyer should always be careful about fraudulent sites. Says Vivek Sethi, co-founder, http:www.solester.com, “Always ensure a secure checkout. Before you purchase an item, look for HTTPS at the beginning of the web address on the transaction page – it indicates a secure connection. Addresses that begin with HTTP, without the `S’ aren’t secure and can result in your payment details being stolen and misused.”
Dos and don’ts
One big drawback of online shopping is that you can’t hold or test the product before buying. “To get the best feel of what you are buying, read the description of the product thoroughly, check the size and compare it with the size chart provided by the website. Read what their return policy says,” shares Harsheen K Arora, director – strategy and operations, The V Renaissance.
If you are uncomfortable sharing your credit or debit card details for online payment, another safe option is COD i.e. Cash On Delivery. It means you have to pay only once your items have been delivered to your doorstep.
Avoid shopping at a cyber cafe or in public places as you are at a risk of letting people see your personal details. If you do, ensure that the PC or website doesn’t auto save your card’s information.
Print or save a copy of your order, until you receive your product. Usually, you will receive an email with a confirmation of your purchase; this page should include a purchase receipt and a confirmation number.