Global e-commerce sites a potential threat to Indian players: Survey

47% surveyed in India said international e-tailers had met their expectations

A majority of Indian buyers prefer shopping on international e-commerce websites because of the better experience.

A survey conducted by US-based internet performance company Dyn showed international e-tailers were meeting the expectations of 47 per cent of Indian respondents and 83 per cent would prefer to buy from global sites.

About 87 per cent of Chinese respondents in the survey said they shopped from foreign online retailers while 62 per cent of European buyers and almost half the US consumers said they did, too.

The survey was conducted in 11 countries of North America, Europe, West Asia, Africa, and Asia and included over 1,400 respondents.

“The online Indian shopper is maturing and has expectations at par with global consumers.

E-commerce businesses need to live up to these expectations,” Martin Ryan, vice-president and managing director at Dyn, said.

“E-commerce in India is gaining momentum and is estimated to be a $76-billion opportunity by 2021. Companies that demonstrate strong online performance and invest in building customer loyalty will benefit tremendously,” he added.

About 50 per cent of the Indian respondents said they enjoyed online shopping more than the physical variety. Indian consumers are keen to shop through mobile devices and expect the same experience on their handsets as on their computers. About 64 per cent said they were willing to buy more using smartphones in this year.

China and India lead in use of mobile devices for online purchases. As many as 80 per cent of the respondents in China said they made purchases through phones

“The greatest increase in mobile shopping is expected to come from China and India, where 85-90 per cent of consumers surveyed said they would consider making more purchases from their tablets and smartphones in 2015,” the survey said.

E-commerce in India is being aided by smartphones, sales of which are expected to overtake the US, the largest market, in a few years. About 37 per cent of the respondents said they expected the same quality and speed while shopping on mobile devices as on computers.

About 42 per cent of consumers said they waited for 4 seconds before switching to a competitor site if a website did not respond. About 36 per cent said they were concerned about security in online shopping and 23 per cent said they were worried about app-based purchases on mobile phones.

CHANGING TIMES

• 47% said international e-tailers met their expectations
   
• 83% prefer to buy from global sites
   
• 50% enjoy online shopping experience more than physical one
   
• 64% willing to make more purchases on smartphones in 2015
   
• 37% expect same quality and speed on mobile devices as computers
   
• 42% wait for four seconds before switching to a competitor site
   
• 36% were concerned about security issues
   
• 23% were concerned about making app-based purchases on mobile phones

*From a survey of 1,400 respondents