Tackling The E-Commerce Threat

The mounting numbers of online e-commerce portals in the country has sure lead the local retailers in a sweating position as the consumers after the checking the prices of a

product from the retailer are either buying it online or are compelling the retailers to offer a price which matches up with that of the portals.

And its not just the hefty price difference which is pulling the consumers to switch to online shopping mode but also the freebies which these portals are offering with the purchase of a product. The ease of getting the product delivered at your doorstep within the same day is also another factor which has lead the offline retailers in an anxious stage.

With the increasing penetration of devices and internet in the country, more and more consumers are expected to join the online bandwagon which according to many retailers will end the future of offline shopping for many consumer durables.

But is there any way left for the retailers to run in a parallel tone with the E-Commerce retailers?

One of the possible solution for the retailers is to be a part of the ecosystem according to which the retailers can tie up with these online portals for their products for delivery across the nation along with focussing on local sales.

As the future is online, the retailers can’t completely overlook the potential of online market and should come up with initiatives to sync their product offerings with the internet, providing complete information of the product along with its price which can save a consumer’s time and effort to visit any of the showroom in a far flung area just to get its description.

The above mentioned solution dosen’t  just floats in the clouds of impracticality as some of the major retailers in India have already started to consider the potential of online marketing. The recent hinting of Retail major-Reliance retail to integrate its stores with an e-commerce portal is one such example.

The achievement of a $1 billion sales mark by Flipkart, one of country’s major online store depicts a clear glimpse of the soaring market opportunity in the  country’s online space, which if overlooked by the retailers will be devastating.