Gone shopping online: The best deals and discounts for festive season

E-commerce giants and niche websites are wooing customers to log in and splurge

When American writer Erma Bombeck said that the odds of going to the store for a loaf of bread and coming out with just that are three billion to one, she spoke well about impulsive shopping. The festive season is upon us and people are shopping online, thoughtfully or impulsively.

“Where else would you easily shop whilst in your pajamas at night? There are no queues standing in or purchase assistants waiting to help you with your orders, and you can make your orders in minutes. You can buy around the clock,” said Nivedita Nangia, a journalist who lives in Delhi.

As many as 81 per cent Indian consumers indicated strong intent to shop online during the festive period, said a recent study Nielsen Media conducted for Amazon India. One in two consumers intends to increase online spending, compared to last festive period, said the study conducted among 8159 people in Indian cities.

For those preparing to shop, online stores have a lot to offer. Amazon’s Great Indian Festival 2023 starts October 8 to offer discounts on many items, especially the company’s devices. Customers can get up to 55 per cent off on Echo smart speakers, Fire TV media sticks, Kindle e-readers, and Alexa smart home combos. Smartphone prices start at Rs 5,699 and 5G-enabled ones will be as cheap as Rs 8,999. The festival has a 60 per cent discount on TVs and 50-80 per cent on fashion and beauty brands.

"Customers will get access to thousands of new launches from leading brands and lakhs of sellers across India. Our teams, including our delivery associates, are excited to make Amazon Great India Festival 2023 the biggest ever for millions of customers,” said Manish Tiwary, vice-president and country manager, India Consumer Business, Amazon.

Flipkart, the largest e-commerce firm in India, has ‘virtual try on’ and a new ‘Brand Mall’ features that create an immersive experience for shoppers. Its one-to-one video assistance feature enables customers to have video conversations with sales associates for personalised recommendations. The Flipkart Big Billion Days 2023 sales event will be held October 8 to 15. “The Big Billion Days this year is a special one, not just for Flipkart, but for the entire ecosystem, as we step into this milestone 10th year,” said Kalyan Krishnamurthy, chief executive officer (CEO) of Flipkart Group.

Shopping demand this season will be fuelled by India’s largest cities and small towns. “The festive season is going to see phenomenal growth opportunities fuelled by Tier-3+ regions,” said Abhishek Bansal, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Shadowfax, a logistics company. Shadowfax has invested in pickup centres in Lucknow, Surat, Ludhiana, Sagar and other places to meet festive sales demand.

Analyses like those by Nielsen Media and Bansal have prompted shopping websites to prepare well for the season.

Meesho will start its sale event on October 6 to "fulfill the festive shopping aspirations of billions of Indians", said Megha Agarwal, CXO for growth at the e-commerce startup.

Meolaa, an e-commerce platform for sustainable shopping, is promoting the idea of 'shop local' for "economic growth, sustainability, and a strong sense of community," said a company spokesperson.

Snapdeal's "Toofani Sale - Festive Dhamaka" will run October 8 to October 15 to offer 50-90 per cent discounts on various products. The company said it has more than 50,000 fashion and beauty items by top brands.

CityMall is an e-commerce platform wooing Indians who usually shop offline, especially for groceries. The company’s festive sale starts October 7 and will have launches, offers and discounts, said Angad Kikla, the company’s founder. "We are launching a new 'Bumper Lottery Deals (BLD)', where you get the best price available anywhere online or offline,” he said.

Amala Earth, an environment friendly shopping website, has stocked up gifts, prayer essentials, beauty products and home décor items for its festive sale October 17 to 22. The company is offering discounts of up to 60 per cent. “This Diwali, the emphasis is on natural, organic, artisanal and earth-friendly products like plantable Ganesha idols, pure ghee diyas, wooden and kansa pooja thaalis, curated gift hampers that are chemical free, organic linen dohars, bed covers and tablecloths, mulmul curtains, mango wood and teak wood tableware, kansa dinnerware and cast iron cookware,” said Gunjan Jindal Poddar, founder of Amala Earth.

As the urge to shop builds up, customers should know that online marketplaces may be different from brand-owned stores. “There is a risk of products being fake, as there are sellers and resellers who sell products with reduced quality. In fact, in the world of e-commerce there are many companies which launch separate sets of products meant only for the online medium especially in clothing, footwear and home textiles segment," said Arvind K Singhal, founder and chairman of Technopak Advisors, a retail consultancy. Buy from online sellers with good ratings.

“Also greed should not overtake common sense. If you are getting a fragrance for Rs 8,000 at Shoppers Stop and the same thing for Rs 3,000 at Amazon, please use your brain and discretion. How can that be a genuine product with so much price gap!” said Singhal.