 "Try gifting personal electronic gadgets")
Wondering what to gift your family and friends this festival season? You are not sure of their tastes and giving cash seems a bit impersonal? A problem for many of us.
Mumbai resident Nirali Someshwar, who runs her own dancing school, says: "I usually try to give something that people use regularly. An option is gifting an article that one is not supposed to buy for oneself. For instance, in Fengshui philosophy, bamboo plants represent wealth and these should be gifted to you. So, that is a good gift idea for Lakshmi Pooja during Diwali."
Household appliances like vegetable or cheese graters that double as storage boxes; clothes, accessories and cosmetics for younger cousins, and philosophy books for the elders are some other gifts she is considering this year.
Amazon India has launched a dedicated Gifts Store, offering a wide range for Diwali. All you have to do is to shop and Amazon will get it delivered anywhere across the country. The range includes apparel, jewellery, accessories, personal care items, gift cards, household products, articles used for pooja, consumer durables, dry fruits, chocolates, etc.
For Snapdeal the top five categories by sales volumes in Delhi were mobiles and tablets, women's ethnic wear, men's footwear, computer peripherals, and men's clothing. The top four religious products sold were brass diyas, home temples, a Dhan Laxmi Yantra Set and Ganesh idols. LED lighting and gardening tools were among the most popular categories in metros, said a spokesperson from Snapdeal.
Someshwar also suggests getting together with a group of friends and ordering a gift from an online store or through social media. The receiver can register with the seller online and select whatever he/she wants. Friends then contribute their individual share of money to buy the gift.
"The new in-thing in the festive gifting scene this year is smart devices. Be it fitness bands, tracking devices or wireless speakers/headphones, these items are a big hit among our customers," says Nagori.
Fitness bands and smart watches are the most popular item. Flipkart did 100 times the average daily sales during its 'Big Billion Day' event. Moto 360, Alcatel Smartwatch, Samsung Gear Live, Goqii Smartband and Moov Now Smartband were the top selling items. This is a clear indication of increase in demand for these products this festive season.
Smart tracking devices are popular gifting items for elders, he adds. Wearable health devices are also popular gift items among corporate houses this year, says Varun Rode, founder, KreativeEnterprises, a merchandising firm.
The price depends on the features. For instance, a fitness band that only works as a pedometer (trace your step count, calorie and distance) will cost less than a smart watch that lets you connect to your phone, sync your phone book, call records and SMS, be a pedometer, monitor your sleep and analyse your sleeping quality, dials and answers phones, among other things. The price can vary from Rs 1,000 for a simple fitness band to Rs 15,000 for a smart watch.
Electronics
This year, electronic gadgets such as headphones, powerbanks, USBs and speakers are popular gifting items, mainly because of price, says Rode. These make for affordable gifts and give a personal touch. Basic models of headphones are available between Rs 400 and Rs 1,500, USBs for Rs 400-500, speakers for Rs 800-1,000 and power banks for Rs 500-800. The price increases for higher-end models. In headphones, you can also look at travel pillows with in-built headphones or neck massager for friends who travel a lot.
Personal care
Gadgets are also good gifts in personal care products, with hair straighteners and hair curlers for women and beard trimmers or face shavers for men, says Anurita Chopra, marketing director-personal care, Philips India. "These make good gifts for youngsters, especially men, because they are gadgets. They are aspirational products and affordable, too," she says.
Philips' hair straighteners are available between Rs 1,695 and Rs 7,995; beard trimmers for Rs 995 to Rs 7,495, and face shavers for Rs 2,095 to Rs 6,995.
Household appliances
Apart from the popular juicers, mixers and grinders, there are air-fryers this year. "As people are more health conscious these days, air-fryers which allow oil-free cooking are a good option," says Chopra of Philips. Another choice is of air purifiers which can be placed in the home, especially for friends and relatives in metro cities like Delhi which have high levels of air pollution. These have filters that absorb pollutants.
But, air-fryers and purifiers are rather expensive. Philips' purifiers cost between Rs 16,995 and Rs 49,995; fryers cost Rs 16,000 to Rs 25,000. In comparison, the range of juicers, mixers and grinders are available between Rs 2,495 and Rs 6,495.
E-gift cards, vouchers
For those still unsure, there are gift vouchers or gift cards, physical and virtual. You can choose from single use, multi use, single vendor or multi vendor gift cards. These are more convenient than cash and offer the recipient the option to choose a gift.
Naveen Surya, managing director at ItzCash Card, says e-gift cards or virtual codes linked to e-commerce websites are popular this year. "We offer gift cards in tie-ups with most of the leading e-commerce websites. In addition, there are virtual cards that can be used across these websites," he says.
The risks of using a gift card are the same as using a credit or debit card, as these can be swiped at point of sales machines, used at ATMs and for online shopping. Cards that can be used across multiple vendors are more liquid and, hence, more risky if misplaced or lost. Customers must keep in mind the expiry date. Usually, the card is valid for 12-24 months. Requests for extending the validity is allowed in select cases, says Surya.
Mumbai resident Nirali Someshwar, who runs her own dancing school, says: "I usually try to give something that people use regularly. An option is gifting an article that one is not supposed to buy for oneself. For instance, in Fengshui philosophy, bamboo plants represent wealth and these should be gifted to you. So, that is a good gift idea for Lakshmi Pooja during Diwali."
Household appliances like vegetable or cheese graters that double as storage boxes; clothes, accessories and cosmetics for younger cousins, and philosophy books for the elders are some other gifts she is considering this year.
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Ankit Nagori, chief business officer at Flipkart, says: "End of August onwards, we see customers start browsing and shopping for the festive season. Participation of tier-II and III cities is at an all-time high. We see a lot of customers purchasing with the gift wrapping option and sending to friends and family in other locations."
Amazon India has launched a dedicated Gifts Store, offering a wide range for Diwali. All you have to do is to shop and Amazon will get it delivered anywhere across the country. The range includes apparel, jewellery, accessories, personal care items, gift cards, household products, articles used for pooja, consumer durables, dry fruits, chocolates, etc.
For Snapdeal the top five categories by sales volumes in Delhi were mobiles and tablets, women's ethnic wear, men's footwear, computer peripherals, and men's clothing. The top four religious products sold were brass diyas, home temples, a Dhan Laxmi Yantra Set and Ganesh idols. LED lighting and gardening tools were among the most popular categories in metros, said a spokesperson from Snapdeal.
Someshwar also suggests getting together with a group of friends and ordering a gift from an online store or through social media. The receiver can register with the seller online and select whatever he/she wants. Friends then contribute their individual share of money to buy the gift.
"The new in-thing in the festive gifting scene this year is smart devices. Be it fitness bands, tracking devices or wireless speakers/headphones, these items are a big hit among our customers," says Nagori.
Fitness bands and smart watches are the most popular item. Flipkart did 100 times the average daily sales during its 'Big Billion Day' event. Moto 360, Alcatel Smartwatch, Samsung Gear Live, Goqii Smartband and Moov Now Smartband were the top selling items. This is a clear indication of increase in demand for these products this festive season.
Smart tracking devices are popular gifting items for elders, he adds. Wearable health devices are also popular gift items among corporate houses this year, says Varun Rode, founder, KreativeEnterprises, a merchandising firm.
The price depends on the features. For instance, a fitness band that only works as a pedometer (trace your step count, calorie and distance) will cost less than a smart watch that lets you connect to your phone, sync your phone book, call records and SMS, be a pedometer, monitor your sleep and analyse your sleeping quality, dials and answers phones, among other things. The price can vary from Rs 1,000 for a simple fitness band to Rs 15,000 for a smart watch.
Electronics
This year, electronic gadgets such as headphones, powerbanks, USBs and speakers are popular gifting items, mainly because of price, says Rode. These make for affordable gifts and give a personal touch. Basic models of headphones are available between Rs 400 and Rs 1,500, USBs for Rs 400-500, speakers for Rs 800-1,000 and power banks for Rs 500-800. The price increases for higher-end models. In headphones, you can also look at travel pillows with in-built headphones or neck massager for friends who travel a lot.
Personal care
Gadgets are also good gifts in personal care products, with hair straighteners and hair curlers for women and beard trimmers or face shavers for men, says Anurita Chopra, marketing director-personal care, Philips India. "These make good gifts for youngsters, especially men, because they are gadgets. They are aspirational products and affordable, too," she says.
Philips' hair straighteners are available between Rs 1,695 and Rs 7,995; beard trimmers for Rs 995 to Rs 7,495, and face shavers for Rs 2,095 to Rs 6,995.
Household appliances
Apart from the popular juicers, mixers and grinders, there are air-fryers this year. "As people are more health conscious these days, air-fryers which allow oil-free cooking are a good option," says Chopra of Philips. Another choice is of air purifiers which can be placed in the home, especially for friends and relatives in metro cities like Delhi which have high levels of air pollution. These have filters that absorb pollutants.
But, air-fryers and purifiers are rather expensive. Philips' purifiers cost between Rs 16,995 and Rs 49,995; fryers cost Rs 16,000 to Rs 25,000. In comparison, the range of juicers, mixers and grinders are available between Rs 2,495 and Rs 6,495.
E-gift cards, vouchers
For those still unsure, there are gift vouchers or gift cards, physical and virtual. You can choose from single use, multi use, single vendor or multi vendor gift cards. These are more convenient than cash and offer the recipient the option to choose a gift.
Naveen Surya, managing director at ItzCash Card, says e-gift cards or virtual codes linked to e-commerce websites are popular this year. "We offer gift cards in tie-ups with most of the leading e-commerce websites. In addition, there are virtual cards that can be used across these websites," he says.
The risks of using a gift card are the same as using a credit or debit card, as these can be swiped at point of sales machines, used at ATMs and for online shopping. Cards that can be used across multiple vendors are more liquid and, hence, more risky if misplaced or lost. Customers must keep in mind the expiry date. Usually, the card is valid for 12-24 months. Requests for extending the validity is allowed in select cases, says Surya.