India has
emerged as one of the largest growing economies in the world. Over the years, global
brands and marketers have shifted their focus to India. One of the growing
trends that were witnessed in the past few years is an increasing inclination of
Indian consumers for online shopping.
Whether it’s bridal
attire or a smartphone, online portals are considered the best alternative that
people have, especially when they want something that is both attractive and
affordable.Lucrative offers, variety, availability of almost all the brands of
clothing, electronics and household items are some of the reasons why people are
more comfortable in doing online shopping.
However,
everything has its own pros and cons and the same applies for online shopping
portals. A report published by Bloomberg Business describes about the nightmare
that Laxmi narayan Krishna mruthy, a retiree faced when he ordered a smartphone
for his wife. When the package arrived from the e-retailer, Mr. Krishnamurthy
got a rude shock.The phone was stolen and the packet had a piece of soap and
bricks.
The Dark Side of Online Shopping
Instances like
the one mentioned above are common in India, especially during the festive
season when these portals offer huge discounts that triggers shopping frenzy
among consumers. Though online sale is exploding in India, but there has also
been an increase in the number of unhappy customers.Logistics infrastructure is one of
the main reasons for such discrepancies. The skilled workers, warehouses and
plans which form the backbone of online shopping, are yet to be upgraded to
make online shopping a flawless experience for Indian customers.
After Mr.
Krishnamurthy’s complaint, many customers shared their experiences about lost
orders, delayed delivery, damaged goods and theft from some of the biggest
online shopping portals.The discrepancy in services will have an impact on the
reputation of these portals. It will also affect the web merchants who look for a strong
customer base.
In addition
to these, there have also been complaints about poor quality, fit and style and
color of the items delivered. In many instances, consumers received orders that
were completely different from the items shown on the website. At times, it
becomes a nightmare for people to return the order to get a refund.
Huge Losses
If you think that
it’s only the customers who are at a loss, think again. . Online shopping is
growing at a rapid pace in India and the retailers are burning cash to get more
customers,especially during festive season. Due to this the portals are
incurring huge losses.For instance, the losses for Flipkart and Snapdeal have
doubled in the last financial year (2013-14).
It has been
estimated that India will surpass the U.S. with the second largest online
population.Still,less than 50 percent of India’s retail sales happen through
the Internet. With the instances of fraud, theft and misplaced order, the
online portals have a long way ahead in order to establish a strong base in
India. They need to spruce up all the aspects of their operation including
logistics and customer care to be considered reliable by the customers.
About The Guest Writer :
Mahendra Mohan is a specialized blogger on technology news, trends and updates. He has covered various topics like Tech, Gadgets & many more..
Mahendra Mohan is a specialized blogger on technology news, trends and updates. He has covered various topics like Tech, Gadgets & many more..
From Btechallsolutions :
This Article is written by Guest Author and published by Btechallsolutions. We encourage the readers to become guest authors and publish their articles on our blog. For more details, how can you Write a Blog Post for Btechallsolutions ?
