Tuesday 16 December 2014

E-Tailing


E-tailing:  The Future of retailing.

E-tailing or electronic retailing may be defined as use of internet to sell goods and services online. India is a developing nation with strong economical growth and the companies view it as potential destination for good business.  In the era of globalization, e-tailing is beneficial approach to tap the global markets. The Indian companies face competition from not only the local markets but also strong global competitors who are utilizing the technology to capture the customers worldwide.  The only solution to be successful in this global contest is embracing e-tailing.
India has seen a phenomenal increase in the number of internet users. This can be attributed to the penetration of broadband services both by Government and private players in most of the parts of the country. This has given an opportunity to the retail sector to analyze the new medium (“Internet) through which they can reach the customer. According to the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB report, the E-tailing market was worth Rs 850 crore for 2006-07 and went on to achieve 30% growth by registering a turnover of Rs 1,105 crore in 2007-08 and is expected to show growth in future too. According to the annual report 2009-2010 of Department of
telecommunication the internet users and broadband users are estimated to reach 40 million and 20 million respectively (source: www.dot.gov.in). Indians have started using internet not only for checking mails and for social networking but also for online shopping. According to an article on www.expressindia.com on Jan 28, 2008 “Indian netizens are world’s third largest online shoppers.” While online shopping globally is growing at around 8-10%, in India the growth rate is upwards of 30 %.( Economic Times, 17th Dec 2009).
The Indian customer has started viewing shopping as a memorable and enjoying experience and therefore convenience is a major factor to facilitate this. They have money but don’t have time but also want the best brands and deals offered to them. This is the juncture where marketers have found the clue to increase the customer base with the help of web.
Conclusion:
The Indian online retail market is witnessing a huge potential and it is the right time to tap this market. The marketers have to make sincere efforts so that the right customer traffic can be diverted to the website. The customer should be given a complete shopping experience by enhancing the design and navigation of the website, security, and customer support, quality of product and return back policy. This will help in increasing loyalty of online customer.