81% intent on festival season e-shopping: Nielsen Media India study

About 81 per cent of consumers have indicated strong sentiment and intent to shop online during this festival season, according to a study by Nielsen Media India on behalf of Amazon India.

About 78 per cent trust online shopping and one in two intend to increase online spending, compared to the last season. Consumers expect a wide selection, unmatched value with competitive pricing, plus convenience of easy returns and exchange, which is driving the online shopping experience.

The study also revealed that for 68 per cent of consumers, Amazon.in is the go-to online shopping destination. About 75 per cent find the widest range and selection of products and brands on the e-commerce platform.

The study said that 87 per cent of consumers in metros and 86 per cent in Tier-II cities (population of 10-40 lakh) prefer to shop online during this festival period. Over 77 per cent of the respondents affirmed that festive day sales enhanced the convenience of their online shopping experience with options like faster delivery. More than 70 per cent wait for such events to purchase electronic items, with attractive offers (76 per cent) and new brand launches (75 per cent) among the core drivers. Over 75 per cent consumers are looking forward to attractive bank offers and no-cost equated monthly installments for shopping.

Three in four also wait for online festive shopping events to purchase large appliances, as they find access to new brands and product launches across categories like refrigerators, washing machines, geysers, and air conditioners. Seventy-six per cent consumers wait for these dates to purchase smartphones — about 60 per cent are interested in the Rs 10,000-20,000 price range, while two in three seek 5G features.

Meesho promises 5 lakh jobs during festive season

SoftBank-backed Meesho said it would enable nearly 5 lakh seasonal job opportunities within its seller and logistics network to fulfill growing demand during the upcoming festival season. This is a 50 per cent increase compared to the seasonal jobs generated by the e-commerce firm last year.

Meesho aims to create roughly 2 lakh job opportunities through its partnership with third-party logistics players such as Ecom Express, DTDC, Elastic Run, Loadshare, Delhivery, Shadowfax and Xpressbees. Over 60 per cent of the opportunities will be from Tier-III and –IV places. These roles will primarily encompass first-mile and delivery associates responsible for tasks such as delivery picking, sorting, loading, unloading and return inspections, it said.