Women shoppers driving the ecommerce upswing

Ecommerce industry experts are cautiously warming up to the idea that women shoppers could be responsible for its growth and sustenance. The industry has come a long way from a short while ago in 2013. Suchi Mukherjee, founder and CEO of popular fashion website Limeroad.com recounts her struggles in getting investors for her venture.

She says that she did not get investors to backup Limeroad. The reasons being women constituted a very small minority of the online shopping community. Thankfully, things have changed radically, with many others trying to catch up to the trend. Today, women shoppers are considered the backbone of the online shopping community. More and more online ventures are mushrooming, and existing marketplaces are modifying their models to include women shoppers.

Suchi Mukherjee says, “In January 2013, Limeroad was an outlier, but today we’re at the heart of what is India’s most attractive and fastest-growing online opportunity.”

The trends are changing

Fashion and accessories are on the top of a woman shopper’s list, but non-conventional things like furniture is also slowly being explored. Experts are of the opinion that today an estimated 50% of the online shoppers are women.

Shoppers are attracted to the time they save, the ease and convenience of shopping online. According to Naina Shetty, a Mumbai based PR executive, “Buying everything online has helped balance out my otherwise chaotic weekend. The saving in terms of fuel and time, combined with practically year-long sales and promotions, make ecommerce a compelling proposition.”

Tier two and three cities catching up

It seems you can buy and sell anything online, even a cow! With women in small towns and villages adapting to modern technology, they are increasingly getting savvier. Many women are choosing to go online to buy their groceries, which are a traditional female bastion. The simplification of the buying process has attracted many women to join the virtual shopping network.

Studies and experts say that women explore more options, and are choosier than men. Easy returns policies also help. Online sellers ought to recognize the potential of having a strong female buyer base. They should study their buyer behaviour and cater to their shopping needs. While the way to a man’s heart may be through his stomach, the way to a woman’s certainly appears to be an amazing shopping experience.