E-Commerce and In-store Experiences Redefining Indian Shopping

While COVID-19 accelerated the reach of e-commerce among consumers, many shoppers went back to physical retail once cities started reopening and have since then adopted 'hybrid commerce' - offline + online

CBRE South Asia Pvt. Ltd., the real estate consulting firm, recently announced the findings of its report, 'Voices from India: How will people live, work and shop in the future?', which is based on a first-of-its-kind survey wherein more than 20,000 people were polled globally.

According to the 'Shop' section of the India report, while COVID-19 accelerated the reach of e-commerce among consumers, many shoppers went back to physical retail once cities started reopening and have since then adopted 'hybrid commerce' - offline + online.

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Most consumers in India prefer to buy items both via e-commerce and in offline retail stores. According to the survey, 60-65% of city centre residents prefer to shop online for gifts, cosmetics, clothing and footwear along with essential items (grocery & toiletries). However, more than 55% of small-town residents preferred online shopping for gifts, clothing &footwear and electronics; only 31% preferred shopping online for essential items (grocery & toiletries).

Millennials have shown a flair for online shopping across clothing & footwear, electronics, cosmetics, gifts and essential items (grocery & toiletries). In fact, more than 70% of late millennials preferred to buy their clothing & footwear, and cosmetics online.

In line with APAC and global trends, more than 65% of consumers across all generations have shown a strong preference for shopping in brick-and-mortar stores for big-ticket purchases such as luxury products and jewellery, irrespective of their location (city centre suburbs / small town, etc.). Consumers want to see such products in-store and may require sales staff assistance for making a purchase. Brick-and-mortar stores continue to remain a prime retail channel for DIY (Do-It-Yourself) and essential items (grocery & toiletries) at the APAC and global level.