Coronavirus pandemic has changed the world. While on the one hand, it forced the authorities to look back and think about the manmade hazards to the environment and health infrastructure, on the other, it gave technology an opportunity to become more integrated with day-to-day life like never before.

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As humanity was forced to stay indoors to save itself from COVID-19, technology came to the rescue — from work from home to online studies to online shopping.

Close to 49 percent of Indian consumers say eCommerce sites and apps have become the preferred mode of shopping for them in the last 12 months, according to a survey by LocalCircles, a Community Social Media platform. The survey received responses from over 42,000 consumers living in 358 districts across India.

LocalCircles says in its report that according to Forrester Research, eCommerce sales in India are estimated to have risen by 7-8 percent in 2020.

In January 2021, a report by fintech company Razorpay said that online transactions grew 80 percent in 2020 over the previous years, suggesting a huge adoption of digital payments by consumers and businesses.

Seeing this popularity of eCommerce, the Confederation of Indian Traders (CAIT) also announced the launch of its own Made in India platform, Bharat Ecommerce, which is targeting to onboard 7 lakh merchants by the end of 2021.

This is not just because of the lockdown last year, but also because the online shopping platforms provide more choices, besides quality and competitive prices.

So, what are the reasons behind the consumer preference shifting to the online mode of shopping?

Safety from COVID-19 and convenience: Number one is of course shopping from the safety of one’s home without the need to go out. LocalCircles say these two are the top reasons cited by the surveyed consumers for using e-commerce. As much as 86 per cent of the people cited “safe deliveries” as the reason for using e-commerce sites.

According to the report, 69 per cent bought groceries/essential supplies online. The report added that shopping via eCommerce sites and apps has become a habit for 33 percent of shoppers.

Easy returns and refunds: As much as 48 percent said that the easy return policy is the reason behind them shifting to online shopping. Around 71 percent of consumers found product descriptions, delivery date, return policy, ratings and reviews, high-quality pictures and warranty information as a whole on e-commerce sites and apps helpful when making purchasing decisions.

Free shipping: Close to 48 percent of the participants were from Tier-1 districts, while 31 percent were from Tier-2 and 21 per cent from Tier-3, Tier-4 and rural districts.

(Edited by : Aditi Gautam)

First Published:Mar 15, 2021 2:38 PM IST