This Deepavali, you can finish most of your shopping from the comfort of your home.
Many of Chennai’s traditional clothing and jewellery stores now have e-commerce portals.
With increasing competition from online marketplaces like Flipkart and Amazon, traditional clothing stores have taken a decision to offer their customers an e-commerce option.
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For people, especially those living abroad, this has become a very convenient option to buy clothes. According to T. Preetha, “I ordered clothes for my entire family and had them delivered to my parent’s house in Chennai. This way, when I come in from the U.S., I don’t have to waste time shopping.”
The stores are gearing up for this season, with innovative methods to improve the online experience. “At RmKV, we set up Skype sessions with customers to help them choose their sarees,” says N.A. Srinivas, head of marketing, RmKV.
They also ensure the collection available online is available in the store as well. “Customers can find the code number and pay at the store of their choice,” says Mr. Srinivas.
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Most retailers, however, say that e-commerce is still in its nascent state, but most of them have decided to create their own websites rather than use online marketplaces like Flipkart and Amazon.
“Only around 1 per cent of our sales is from the online store, but our website helps maintain our brand,” says Ramnath Nalli, vice-chairman of Nalli Group.
It is not only clothing stores that are switching to e-commerce, even jewellery shopping is moving online.
“We have customers from all over the world logging on to our website for gifting their loved ones, as we ship worldwide,” says G.R. Ananthapadmanabhan, managing director of G.R.T. Jewellers, adding, purchases worth less than a lakh are common. For costlier buys, customers prefer to see and feel the product at the store.
This Deepavali, sweets shopping too has moved online. Norukkutheeni.com, for example, has seen an increase in traffic “as early birds test our snacks before Deepavalai,” says owner Suresh Kumar.
“I have sent sweets to my friends and family across the country, thanks to the convenience of shopping online,” says R. Sneha from Thiruvanmiyur.