Online shopping a big draw in India

ComScore data says 60% of online users in India visited retail sites in November

2011 would probably go down as the year when online shopping came to life in India. Latest comScore data estimates that nearly 60 per cent of online users in India visited a retail site in November 2011. The number of online shoppers increasing 18 per cent in the past year.

comScore has released a report on visitation to the top retail and coupon sites in India based on data from its comScore Media Metrix service and reports that coupon (daily deal) sites are also a part of the e-commerce craze. An estimated 16.5 per cent of the Indian online population visited deal sites such as Snapdeal.com and Mydala.com last month.

“The online channel is playing an increasingly important role in connecting retailers with potential customers in India,” noted Kedar Gavane, comScore director for India.

“The rapid growth of online coupon sites suggests that consumers in India are looking for deals, highlighting the need for online retailers to adopt effective marketing and pricing strategies.”

India consumers continue to turn to the web to shop for and purchase items, and retailers continue to increase their online visibility through active marketing campaigns. Amazon sites led as the top retail destination in India reaching 6.8 million visitors, representing 14.7 per cent of the online population. comScore analysis of the largest retail sub-categories revealed that coupons (deals sites) were the largest with 7.6 million visitors with consumer electronics sites following with 7.1 million visitors.