Still not the IT Thing
Its hard to watch the news without being assassinated by the number of commercials for online shopping.
Its hard to watch the news without being assassinated by the number of commercials for online shopping. Theres one for books and gadgets,another for clothes. A third,with a naked woman on a pedestal being checked out by all and sundry,saying we know how to get your attention,has me wondering what the portal is for.
Despite being the IT mammoth that India is,it is surprisingly slow when we talk of online shopping. All of the US lives on Ebay and Craigslist. Japan,China and Taiwan have always embraced technology like no one else. Burberry launched its flagship store in Taipei,Taiwan,with a futuristic party: a 3D wraparound show that brought the best of Britain and the brand to the venue,including an unexpected drizzle. India playing catch-up is arguably because its retail space has just opened up 20 years ago,but hey,the internet is also two decades old.
Ive bought books on Amazon before and it is pricey. But Flipkart is the best thing thats happened to bibliophiles: theyll get you any book from anywhere at a huge discount. Even though I love the smells and sounds of a real bookstore,its hard not to turn into an addict. Moreover,stuff like a Dell laptop can only be bought online.
Its online shopping for clothes that befuddles me. All of a sudden there are a few dozen sites for apparel or western apparel and they are seemingly successful,going by their high quality web pages and expensive advertising slots. Jabong.com has a huge selection from every possible high-street label from Levis and Allen Solly to Damp;G and DKNY. Myntra.com is an easy-breezy site also filled with high-street goodies Benetton,Puma,Fila and Jealous,at prices as low as Rs 700. It has a style blog too. Styleme.com is a two-year-old online portal with shopping as well as listings and reviews. Freecultr,headed by Sujal Shah,formerly of IMG Fashion,is very interesting. Like American Apparel,it has the best basics you will ever find,a wide range of T-shirts and denims,and they hold the licence for Shah Rukh Khans Kolkata Knight Riders clothing franchise.
Each of these promise a 30-day return policy,cash on delivery,sales and freebies. Online shopping is supposed to be as commonplace as ordering a pizza.
But an industry that claims to be avant-garde,fashion luxury fashion took its time to catch up with digital business. Pradas website only came up five years ago,in 2007. Uche Okonkwos Luxury Online chronicles why labels need to overcome their digital challenges on todays world-stage. Labels like Louis Vuitton,Gucci,Christian Dior and Burberry are only just realising that the internet can be an overwhelming marketing tool.
Hauteitis is a new and beautiful site thats dedicated to a clutch of Indian designers Anamika Khanna,Gaurav Gupta,Namrata Joshipura and Ranna Gill. It is helmed by Manjari Saha,sister to Christian Diors Kalyani Saha,headquartered in Boston and largely aimed at American women.
The celebrated Netaporter.com is synonymous with buying fashion online,and theyre soon coming to India. We will see many more Indian designers on this portal for sure. But it needs many more rivals than we have on offer.
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