Vijayawada: The ‘mega’ sales on e-commerce websites are hitting the business of conventional retailers in the city this Diwali. The fact that these e-tailers sell anything from fancy jewellery to high-end TV sets, at higher discounts compared to conventional stores, has people logging on to them.
The otherwise attractive discounts offered by retailers have failed to attract customers as the e-tailers more than match their “offers”. Of late, there has been an increase in the number of courier agencies in the city, most of whom are third-party agencies of the e-tailers.
The fact that buyers have the luxury of shopping right from home, and choose among the best offers is inducing more and more people, especially the youth to the e-tailers. The impact of this business is clearly evident by the comparatively vacant electronic appliances’ showrooms in the city.
“There is a definite dip in the number of customers looking to buy phones this Diwali. Now, they are selecting a phone online and coming to shop just to buy it. Floating customers are our major source of business,” said Sk. Shabbir a mobile store dealer.
