As many as 72 per cent respondents of a survey by LocalCirlces believe that the government should not limit e-commcer websites and apps from offering heavy discounts and holding flash sales.
The survey found that more people were shifting to e-commerce as their preferred way of shopping given the uncertainties due to Covid-19 regulations and lockdowns.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, recently proposed amendments to Consumers Protection (e-Commerce) Rules, 2020, aimed at giving more power to the online buyers and preventing unfair trade practices by e-Commerce platforms.
“The highest percentage of consumers in the survey, 49 per cent said e-commerce sites and apps have been their preferred mode of shopping in the last 12 months,” the survey stated.
The only area of e-commerce sales which concerns some consumers is misleading advertisements, particularly those that may lead them to believe that a product is selling at deeply discounted prices only for a handful of units.
About 22 per cent of the respondents called or messaged retail stores and got home deliveries, indicating the emergence of a new home delivery trend where products moved to the customers.
Evaluating reasons given by e-commerce consumers for using the channel in the order of priority, 79 per cent used it for ‘convenience and safety’, 64 per cent for ‘more selection and choice’, and 61 per cent use it for ‘competitive pricing and easy returns’.
As many as 54 per cent said they preferred shopping during online sales as it allowed them to buy things that they normally cannot in terms of selection or price.
The survey also indicated that 43 per cent consumers sought country of origin information for all their purchases during the last six months when shopping on e-commerce.
(Published 21 July 2021, 14:52 IST)
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