Online Shopping Is Finally Here In India. Or Is It?
Online Shopping Is Finally Here In India. Or Is It?
The web is an established space that enables innumerable actions. Initially, in its nascent stage, the internet was not accessed by large numbers. But with the recent internet boom, web traffic has increased drastically.
There are several sites, catering to various requirements and offering a plethora of services. The percentage of web users was relatively limited during the initial phase, but with the growth in the popularity of the internet, this percentage has increased rapidly. In India, the online population in the year 2010 was estimated at 203.1 million.
Let us take the example of the online deals industry. The concept of online shopping developed gradually with the coming of the World Wide Web. Charles Stack was the first person to create an online store in 1992. After which, better known brands such as Pizza Hut opened online outlets in order to enable consumers to place an order from the comfort of their home. Currently, the estimated worth of the Indian online market is worth $71 million. The Indian online population spends an average of $2517 a year on shopping online, hence making it the fourth highest expenditure in Asia/Pacific region.
According to research results, online shopping has taken a big leap since the year 1996. Sites like eBay and Amazon helped the concept of online shopping to graduate to an entirely new level. Web users were converted into consumers and prospective buyers. The concept was innovative and suited the interest of both the supplier as well as the buyer. Founded in September 1995, eBay was designed to be an online platform where anybody could buy and sell practically anything. Currently, it has approximately 147 million registered users.
Recent years have witnessed the advent of a new branch of this hyacinth industry. The upcoming online shopping industry is rooting itself in to the Indian market. The key reasons for this are the increased level of internet usage, the growing percentage of India's youth that has a comfortable disposable income to dispense away on entertainment and individual interests and the increased use of credit/debit cards which enables online transactions. The top sites in the Indian market that offer online deals related to dining, health , beauty and entertainment sectors are www.snapdeal.com, www.yebhi.com, www.mastsale.com, www.koovs.com, www.taggle.com , www.khojguru.com, and many more runners that keep accommodating themselves in this upcoming industry on almost weekly basis. The primary reason for the success of this industry is purely due to its functional value. The internet offers unlimited options for a single sector. It is not restricted by geographical boundaries or work timings. Initially security issues related to personal and bank information largely hampered the growth of this area. But, now with the widespread knowledge about secure gateways online, this damage is being repaired.
These sites are popular in the metro cities and have managed to spread their network in the tier II cities as well. There are times when the consumer might become a regular visitor with one site, but it is always advisable to keep surfing through other websites that offer the same services. To cite an example: snapdeal is the market leader today in the online deals industry, but a relative newcomer in the business, mastsale, offered a deal similar to the former one in Bengaluru, but at a much better discount and more services, thus giving the user a much more beneficial deal. Snapdeal struck a deal with Ellora Spa in Bengaluru wherein the user had to pay Rs 399 for Swedish Body Massage worth Rs 1500, at 73% discount. A delight for the consumer. But interestingly, Mastsale hatched a deal with the same Spa wherein, the consumer had to pay Rs.399 only for services that included Swedish Spa, Zap'em Face Spa, Hair Cut and a handful more. Interesting isn't it? Another factor that supports the idea of restraining oneself from becoming a brand loyalist is the fact that these sites constantly keep changing their services and the interface they maintain with their users. This explains how it is imperative to research properly to avail the best discount. One should not commit the mistake of limiting oneself to a single site. Look around to see how the new and fresh sites work harder to bring to you something better.
In spite of the rage of shopping online that is slowly spreading everywhere, the market is relatively inert to buying deals online due to a variety of reasons. Therefore, the challenge for the forerunners of this industry is to position themselves within the mind of the consumer as a reliable and a much more beneficial mode of transaction. It is important to exhibit the informative and the functional value of shopping online for making the Indian mind respond to this method of shopping positively. A time is awaited when friends will go on virtual shopping sprees, wherein, all of them will be glued to their respective computer screens in their individual spaces and will be buying online while discussing with each other simultaneously. Even though there are certain apprehensions related to security issues and the quality of the product bought online, the technology is bound to advance with increased demand. Banks are sure to improvise to ensure secure payment gateways. Plus, online users will get the added benefit of being made aware of all discounts and deals in time or even before hand. The future is definitely going to house a thriving online social life that will save time and money along with providing the best service available.
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# www.ebay.com
# www.amazon.com
# www.snapdeal.com
# www.yebhi.com
# www.mastsale.com
# www.khojguru.com
# www.taggle.com
# www.koovs.com
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