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It is Diwali tomorrow and the markets are buzzing with shoppers, who’re scrambling to complete their last-minute purchases for the festival of lights.
While online shopping seems to be the buzzword this season, many shoppers believe that there’s nothing compared to going to the market and checking out the product on their own.
The whole idea of planning a day-out for shopping with friends, family or even alone, has an incomparable charm and can even be a therapy of sorts, which can never be matched by the virtual shopping.
Neelima Ravi Kumar, CEO of a retail chain, said, “Buying things from a store has many advantages. One can see the product before buying. They can check all specifications, compare multiple products before making a purchase and get instant delivery.
When you buy something from a store, it takes accountability for the product in case of any defect or other issues. However, that’s not the case with online purchases. In fact, e-retail is increasingly becoming a threat, where people get duped many a times with faulty products from grey-market. There are instances when used products are sold online and the customer wouldn’t know till it reaches them.”
Shivali Singh, owner of a boutique in the city said, “Online shopping is still a new concept in India and people have more trust for retail outlets than online, as the former has greater brand value and personal connect. Buying something from a store gives the costumer that personal touch and they can buy products which can be customised to their body type and taste.”
Apart from the fear of getting duped, shoppers also find the idea of being able to see something in real and then purchasing more appealing. Bhanu Prakash, a 29-year-old city entrepreneur, said, “Nothing can be compared to going to a store and making a purchase. You can touch and feel the product, check it out yourself, weigh it against other things and then put it in the shopping cart. Also, there’s a direct and personal customer-sales relationship that helps in getting good offers.”
Many also feel that while shopping online, you can’t be sure about how a thing looks. Archana Shrivastava, a 35-year-old management professional, said, “There are a lot of things you can’t buy without looking at them. Also, a number of times, the quality of your purchase, differs -what you order and what you get are two different things! This hassles the customer unnecessarily. However, when you go to a store, you know what you’re getting.”
