E-commerce becomes the preferred shopping mode in India: Survey

As per a survey by Local Circles, e-commerce is fast becoming one of the most preferred modes of shopping in India, buoyed by increased customer adoption over the past 12 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic/

Nearly half of all respondents said, ecommerce websites and apps have become their preferred mode of shopping over the last 12 months, while a further 18 per cent said they prefer getting goods delivered home from their local retailers.

Safety, competitive prices and ease of returns ranked as the top reasons for shoppers to trust in ecommerce services more than before, the survey which got 130,000 responses from over 42,000 unique consumers located in 358 districts of India showed.

Customers have started paying more for higher-quality items, while many others have turned to shopping from value brands rather than premium ones, the spokesperson added.

Among the most popular categories of products consumers shopped online were essentials and groceries with 69 per cent of the respondents buying these online. About 54 per cent shopped online for medium-value items such as clothing, furnishings and electronic accessories in the last 12 months, while 32 per cent purchased high-value items such as gadgets, white goods and furniture.

The survey found that 33 per cent of respondents purchased everything they needed through ecommerce, while a further 29 per cent said that over 75 per cent of their spending was on online platforms over the last one year.