CHENNAI: If only online shopping was a thing in the early 90’s, Julia Roberts could have saved herself some embarrassment in that classic shopping scene in Pretty Woman. Though the reason might not be the same, the people of Chennai are slowly beginning to get into the groove of shopping online. It did begin with books and electronics initially, with websites like Flipkart offering free home delivery and Cash on Delivery (COD) options, but fashionistas here have begun reaching for their computer mouse to fill their wardrobes, as well. “The discounts and offers are great on these shopping websites, but if we don’t keep track of the sales, the best products are usually sold out in a matter of minutes,” says Lakshmi Neelakantan. For some others, the online shopping experience has a whole other meaning. “I don’t have to worry about parking and long lines at the billing counter,” says Appoorva Muralinath, a basketball player. “But I also shop online only for things that I don’t have to try on, like accessories and beauty products,” she adds. When The Nielsen Company conducted a survey on the top online shopping trends in India in September 2010, it discovered that half of Indian consumers use social media sites to help them make online purchase decisions. This maybe the reason why E-tailing, as it has come to be known, is extending its presence to the social networking websites as well. If you like a website’s Facebook page or follow them on Twitter, you are privy to various special offers and contests. A good example of this is the Chennai-based Dropped Pin, which began as a Facebook-only operation. “If you are part of the website’s social media page, you will have early access to all the sales and offers,” substantiates Lakshmi. “I have a number of shoes I bought off the Facebook page’s sale announcements,” she adds. But we must admit, we are a conservative clan in Chennai, at least when it comes to certain things. There are some of us who believe that it is blasphemous to buy something without touching, feeling and trying it on first. “I am a little paranoid about clothes fitting me right, so I usually try them on,” says Sharanya Venkataraman. Like everything else, there is a male perspective to this trend as well. “I saw a good offer on a pop-up once and the T-shirt I ordered looked nothing like it did on my computer screen. I will never buy anything off the internet again,” rants Sahaf Mohamed. Most popular websites such as fashionandyou.com, 99labels.com, brandmile.com and 24hoursloot.com do offer standard sizes “I would buy something from a website only if it is spectacular,” says Diya Oommen. E-tailing is also making its rounds for other reasons as well. “If my mother needs a gift to be delivered directly to someone, she makes use of the online purchasing options,” says Namrata Maria Thomas. A good percentage of the internet-savvy youth are at ease with making purchases online, but a few others worry about details such as the shipping delivery, no- returns policy of certain websites, limited payment options and the security involved in disclosing their credit card numbers. Will Chennai soon match the percentage of online shopping levels in other cities? “The trends with the kind of products we stock on fashion websites takes a while to catch up in Chennai and I feel that the women here are not very trendy,” states Pooja Sengupta, the founder of Dropped Pin. “We will catch up with other cities when our women are willing to be more experimental and have more individuality in their tastes.”
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