The market for buying large appliances online has gone up by twice the number from last year, say reports. Buyers are increasingly opting to buy their big toys online. Popular choices are TVs, washing machines, fridges, air conditioners and microwaves.
The number of people who will go online to buy fridges, TVs, washing machines and the like is set to go up. Major players in the ecommerce industry are looking at ways to win and retain customers. Flipkart and Snapdeal are in talks with companies that offer after sales service and support to those who buy appliances.
Arvind Singhal, chairman of Technopak, a Gurgaon based retail consultancy firm, says, “Like mobiles, large appliances are an organised market. They are also specifications-driven. So, consumers get a detailed idea of what the product is like when shopping online.”
All online sellers agree that the biggest roadblock in selling online in India is the mindset of buyers to trust what they can touch and feel. Apart from that, says C.M. Singh, CEO of Videocon, “I think the big challenge is the price differential between online and offline. If that can be addressed, I don’t see why manufacturers will not tap this channel aggressively.”
Established brands like Videocon and Godrej are also working on going online.
Kamal Nandi, business head and executive VP of Godrej says, “In the long run, we propose to have completely different portfolios for online and offline.”
This will doubtlessly work for customers who would like to avoid sales executives hovering around them at showrooms. If there is a solid support system (demonstration, installation, warranty and replacement) in place, buyers are certainly going to opt for the online route. With trusted old brands endorsing the online path, things are surely set to go north from here.
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