...and yes, yet another online store. If I am not lagging behind on my web trends stats. this might be another addition to one of the couple dozen online 'megastores' in India.
I remember the year 2000, when i first 'experimented' with Indiatimes (and I hate to recall, it was pathetic). What a concept it was! See things online and buy it! And I am not trying to simplify, complicate, applaud or criticize anything. Nor was the concept very new. It was just new to Indians and in all surety it never picked up till late.
There were a few problems here. No credibility of the buyer, questions on the genuineness and quality of the product, lack of ergonomics of the portal and most importantly that satisfaction that the Indian had to buy the product after 'feeling' it at the store.
Well that was a dozen years back! And the good part was that online stores understood this and changes for the good (a few of them atleast - Indiatimes still remains the same!). Buyers too have changed; the new neo rich new generation due to paucity of time (read hastiness) and steal deals offered by e-sellers, cemented with 'no-questions asked' return policy change the picture completely. It would not be justified here, if i do not mention, Flipkart (btw I interviewed for Flipkart, though i did not find it interesting enough) here, which was one of the torch bearers of the e-shopping industry in India who pretty much stole the Amazon India dream (though Amazon now has Junglee launched in India now!) IMO, what changed everything was the trust with which people could buy stuff and feel safe. Though its interesting why this did not happen much earlier when eBay launched PaisaPay; possibly due to the 'gray market' image eBay continues to carry.
While I am a happy buyer now, I am awestruck with the rate at which these e-stores continue to grow everyday! When i thought about this a year ago with my marketing hat on, i thought that the rule of 3 will come to the e-selling industry. With the cut throat competition and not such huge margins, the industry is definitely going to witness some huge alliances and M&As.
Flip-kart recently bought Letsbuy; I wont be amazed if reliance buys FK! Well, thats not the point, I am just wondering if 'everything' can be sold online? Possibly, I yet have to figure you, and I guess time will tell!!
I remember the year 2000, when i first 'experimented' with Indiatimes (and I hate to recall, it was pathetic). What a concept it was! See things online and buy it! And I am not trying to simplify, complicate, applaud or criticize anything. Nor was the concept very new. It was just new to Indians and in all surety it never picked up till late.
There were a few problems here. No credibility of the buyer, questions on the genuineness and quality of the product, lack of ergonomics of the portal and most importantly that satisfaction that the Indian had to buy the product after 'feeling' it at the store.
Well that was a dozen years back! And the good part was that online stores understood this and changes for the good (a few of them atleast - Indiatimes still remains the same!). Buyers too have changed; the new neo rich new generation due to paucity of time (read hastiness) and steal deals offered by e-sellers, cemented with 'no-questions asked' return policy change the picture completely. It would not be justified here, if i do not mention, Flipkart (btw I interviewed for Flipkart, though i did not find it interesting enough) here, which was one of the torch bearers of the e-shopping industry in India who pretty much stole the Amazon India dream (though Amazon now has Junglee launched in India now!) IMO, what changed everything was the trust with which people could buy stuff and feel safe. Though its interesting why this did not happen much earlier when eBay launched PaisaPay; possibly due to the 'gray market' image eBay continues to carry.
While I am a happy buyer now, I am awestruck with the rate at which these e-stores continue to grow everyday! When i thought about this a year ago with my marketing hat on, i thought that the rule of 3 will come to the e-selling industry. With the cut throat competition and not such huge margins, the industry is definitely going to witness some huge alliances and M&As.
Flip-kart recently bought Letsbuy; I wont be amazed if reliance buys FK! Well, thats not the point, I am just wondering if 'everything' can be sold online? Possibly, I yet have to figure you, and I guess time will tell!!
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