Trends in Digital Sale of Footwear in India

Right from the day when progressive manufacturers and dealers of consumer goods in India took up e-commerce as the medium for marketing their products and services, there has been a major shift. Indeed, consequent to more and more people becoming computer literate, IT savvy and availing internet connections including assorted apps, the online trade has become the order of the day. So much so e-commerce companies in India have witnessed an unprecedented rapid increase in the trade.

For instance, the country’s footwear major, Lakhani Shoes even launched an exclusive website as the best place to buy sports shoes online. And aptly it has been named lakhanifootwearonline.com. This is in addition to its nationwide network of outlets and other dealers for the wide range of products. An intending buyer can have all the relevant descriptions and reviews.

These websites of the shoe manufacturers provide detailed information to suit your needs and by the mere click of the mouse, you can order your favoured pair of footwear. Thus for the latest footwear collection, one need not wander around the markets in town and hop from one shop to another.

With the rise in usage of cellular ‘Cello-Hello’ telephones, the consumers are increasingly becoming mobile savvy in using these devices to shop online. Two years ago, a survey had revealed that mobile data traffic had doubled in India and Southeast Asia. It was also reported that almost a third of the traffic on e-commerce sites was through mobile sets. This in turn could mean the traders being branded as m-commerce companies in the near future.

Meanwhile, as a part of innovative marketing strategy, a good number of online trading companies have begun to focus on incorporating app formats as part of their websites, particularly in reaching out to the younger generation.

According to Research Capsule's report, the e-commerce market in India is still in infancy and currently just a fraction of the market in China or the USA. Nonetheless, a small slice of the country's total retail sales market is just getting warmed up with big online brands establishing themselves.

There are several Indian e-commerce companies which are growing rapidly. These companies are changing the market and challenging both established local retailers and also western companies to gain a foothold in India. Until recently, internet-based purchases in India were primarily travel-related with consumers ordering train and plane tickets online. Physical goods were not ordered online, but during the decade, e-commerce companies selling electronics, clothes and footwear as well as household items have surged in popularity and consumers are comfortable purchasing such items online.

The Indian e-commerce market is different in many ways than markets in China or the USA. For example, paying cash or credit upon delivery is a common practice in India, meaning consumers can evaluate the goods before paying. Online retailers in India also must think mobile first as fixed-line internet connectivity is still extremely low and slow in the country. Yet, the e-commerce market in India is expected to reach $51 billion by 2017, growing at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 43% during 2012-2017.