Flash back to the year 2012. Online shopping, E-commerce and me started our journey from then. I have joined my job and am living alone in a new city far away from home. Cooking for myself, managing an apartment all by myself, everything was new for me. Adulting here I come! It was an overwhelming but enjoyable time for me.
How it all Began
BUT! There was one activity that really got my goat! And that was going to the bajar/mandi/marketto buy vegetables or grocery. How I hated lugging the heavy bag , laden with fruits and veggies back home! I would pray to God everyday to relieve me from this distress. And believe it or not, within one year, the online shopping portal for groceries, Grofers was introduced in Jaipur. You can not imagine my happiness at having clean and fresh vegetables delivered to my front step. I can still remember the glee and joy I felt on receiving my first order. That too without breaking a sweat or spoiling my mood by lugging heavy shopping bags!
Answer to my Prayers
I was in seventh heaven. God had finally answered my prayer. From then I have had a deep and trusting relationship with online shopping ,E-commerce. It started with buying fruits,vegetables and grocery then . Over time it as evolved to buying all packaged goods, skin care products, home décor items, books and what not from trusted online portals.
Benefits of Online Shopping for me
Benefits of Online Shopping for me
Online shopping for me saves a lot of precious time in todays fast paced world. It helps to make informed choices after a thorough and exhaustive comparative search of all the available options. And top that off with very attractive discounts and cash back options. Anything I want, at any time of the day, I can just go online, browse and add it to my cart . One more thing that I truly love about shopping online, is that I can explore even international brands. It has brought the world so much closer to my grasp. So its overall a win-win for me.
Things That I don’t buy online
Things That I don’t buy online
I don’t buy clothes, jewelry and high value electronic items online. I prefer to browse through and try on clothes or jewelry physically before buying them.
How I keep online shopping impulses in control
There is a trick I used till very recently to prevent myself from impulsive online shopping. The shopaholics seriea by Sophie Kinsella has made me really paranoid about my shopping getting out of control. I kept my banking phone and online phone separate. That caused a physical barrier in the entire online shopping process. It helped me slow down and pace my shopping urges. Also I am very loyal to my trusted online shopping portals and prefer buying only from them.
Improvements I wish for in Ecommerce
Improvements I wish for in Ecommerce
- Use of regional languages.
- More senior citizen user friendly app designs.
- Ease of return/ refund process.
- Guarantee of originality of branded products.
- Even lucrative discounts or cash back incentives.
We as a generation, have come a long way. From using landline telephones, watching black and white television, computers being a fantasy object from science fiction books. Today, we are even buying those science fiction books online! The digital boom had truly changed our lives. And the added bonus of the time that we save through online shopping. I cant wait to see what the future holds for us in terms of innovations in the online shopping , e-commerce front!
Written as part of Blogchatter’s campaign #ECommerceInnovation.Read more posts in the campaign here.
Haa haa “Adulting” is tough and this post made me laugh out loud.
You are right…online shopping has brought the whole world within our grasp and at our fingertips.