Shopping 'online' is the new trend - Online shopping has come of age, says Norbert Rego.
Today, Net-savvy customers are going online like never before to buy goods and services. Until recently, it was to reserve hotel rooms and buy air, rail or movie tickets, books and gadgets and gizmos, but now clothes - saris, kurtis, T-shirts - shoes, and designer lingerie as well.
Bangalore-based Amit Roy, who earlier shopped for electronics goods and books, was extremely disappointed as the products were not as described online, delivery was delayed and payment methods were not secure and the choice was limited. But over the last three years, he has extensively shopped online, mainly for clothes, shoes and books. "Now they are very professional with delivery dates, quality of products and customer support. The payment methods are also secure, with some offering cash on delivery. Some companies let me zoom in on the product image and offer a 360 degree view. Products are delivered at the door with all custom duties, formalities, etc, done by them."
Shopping 'online' is the new trend
V Sathyamoorthy of an online agency dealing with beauty and wellness products says, "We have various kinds of customers, ranging from individuals looking for premium grooming and skincare products which are not readily available in India to customers looking for good deals on premium beauty brands."
Buyer-seller relationships
Online shopping was earlier associated with uncertainty, anonymity and lack of control. Shailen Amin, an online retailer for shoes says, "Trust is an important factor in the buyer-seller relationships. The customer cannot 'touch and feel' a product, and hence it is the retailer's responsibility to ensure multiple quality checks that promise uniformity and build trust."
But the lack of touch and feel problem in online shopping has to be addressed effectively. Aashish Bhinde of Avendus Capital says, "The solutions being identification of categories, where the need for product touch is minimal (and standardisation is high), and incentivising the consumer through other means, such as discounts to compensate."
The number of Indian online shoppers is currently estimated at 14 per cent of the total Internet users; and has been increasing at a rate of 35 per cent over the last three years. At these growth rates, the number of online shoppers is likely to reach 38 million by 2015.
Interactive 3D images
Now with the advent of 3D technologies, online shopping is on the verge of a radical transformation. In order to sell in 3D, businesses need to create digital 3D versions of their products. Interactive 3D images are the next best thing to actually holding an object in your hand. Keshav Bajaj feels, "With the use of 3D technologies, the user interface will be taken to the next level, with more e-commerce models, which is a critical part of the decision-making process."
Ankur Dinesh of an online retail consulting and research firm says, "Experts across the world are working towards replicating the experience of offline shopping in online world. From high resolution images to video displays, the technology is being exploited to create a marvel for online customers and help them feel the product just as they can do it offline. However, these technologies are bandwidth-intensive and would need more 'G' to be added to Internet distribution on devices." Vivek Gaur of a fashion online portal agrees, "The 3 D tech / java-based apps are heavy on bandwidth."
Kunal Bahl, online professional, says, "Given the growth of Internet penetration and the number of credit card holders, the e-commerce industry will continue to see explosive growth in the future as well. There are approximately 100 million Internet users in India and a substantial number out of these users would be shopping online for various products and services." One of the risks in online shopping is sharing credit card details over the Internet, but 'cash on delivery' module can help the buyer pay once he has received the product. ( indiatimes.com )
Today, Net-savvy customers are going online like never before to buy goods and services. Until recently, it was to reserve hotel rooms and buy air, rail or movie tickets, books and gadgets and gizmos, but now clothes - saris, kurtis, T-shirts - shoes, and designer lingerie as well.
Bangalore-based Amit Roy, who earlier shopped for electronics goods and books, was extremely disappointed as the products were not as described online, delivery was delayed and payment methods were not secure and the choice was limited. But over the last three years, he has extensively shopped online, mainly for clothes, shoes and books. "Now they are very professional with delivery dates, quality of products and customer support. The payment methods are also secure, with some offering cash on delivery. Some companies let me zoom in on the product image and offer a 360 degree view. Products are delivered at the door with all custom duties, formalities, etc, done by them."
Shopping 'online' is the new trend
V Sathyamoorthy of an online agency dealing with beauty and wellness products says, "We have various kinds of customers, ranging from individuals looking for premium grooming and skincare products which are not readily available in India to customers looking for good deals on premium beauty brands."
Buyer-seller relationships
Online shopping was earlier associated with uncertainty, anonymity and lack of control. Shailen Amin, an online retailer for shoes says, "Trust is an important factor in the buyer-seller relationships. The customer cannot 'touch and feel' a product, and hence it is the retailer's responsibility to ensure multiple quality checks that promise uniformity and build trust."
But the lack of touch and feel problem in online shopping has to be addressed effectively. Aashish Bhinde of Avendus Capital says, "The solutions being identification of categories, where the need for product touch is minimal (and standardisation is high), and incentivising the consumer through other means, such as discounts to compensate."
The number of Indian online shoppers is currently estimated at 14 per cent of the total Internet users; and has been increasing at a rate of 35 per cent over the last three years. At these growth rates, the number of online shoppers is likely to reach 38 million by 2015.
Interactive 3D images
Now with the advent of 3D technologies, online shopping is on the verge of a radical transformation. In order to sell in 3D, businesses need to create digital 3D versions of their products. Interactive 3D images are the next best thing to actually holding an object in your hand. Keshav Bajaj feels, "With the use of 3D technologies, the user interface will be taken to the next level, with more e-commerce models, which is a critical part of the decision-making process."
Ankur Dinesh of an online retail consulting and research firm says, "Experts across the world are working towards replicating the experience of offline shopping in online world. From high resolution images to video displays, the technology is being exploited to create a marvel for online customers and help them feel the product just as they can do it offline. However, these technologies are bandwidth-intensive and would need more 'G' to be added to Internet distribution on devices." Vivek Gaur of a fashion online portal agrees, "The 3 D tech / java-based apps are heavy on bandwidth."
Kunal Bahl, online professional, says, "Given the growth of Internet penetration and the number of credit card holders, the e-commerce industry will continue to see explosive growth in the future as well. There are approximately 100 million Internet users in India and a substantial number out of these users would be shopping online for various products and services." One of the risks in online shopping is sharing credit card details over the Internet, but 'cash on delivery' module can help the buyer pay once he has received the product. ( indiatimes.com )
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