It comes as no surprise that online shopping emerged due to the convenience of the internet. Shopping in Goa is a colourful affair. Our markets all have their own advantages depending on where you go to shop. Fresh vegetable produce, cheap accessories, variety in choice, etc. are all definitely available, but only if you know where to go look for it; and though supermarkets are making it more convenient to find everything in one place, affordability for a middle class person isn’t high on the list. Online shopping finds a way to get around all of these issues.
Krithika Pradeep, a 30-year-old residing in Panjim says, “The convenience of having what you need available at your fingertips is definitely the biggest draw, it beats the hassle of physically visiting a store, spending time browsing through products and not finding what you actually want. The only times I feel I need to go out to buy something is when I find that certain small business brands of clothing that I like aren’t available online, but can be found in local stores.”
“I mostly shop for clothing online. I like looking at all the different options and colours from the comfort of my own space,” adds Rashmita Monserrate, a 24-year-old based in Porvorim, “I normally use the brand apps itself. This is because I know I’ll be getting the appropriate quality for the price and I know the sizes fit me perfectly.”
“I would say about 80 percent of my online shopping is for electronics, maybe 15 percent for clothing and 5 percent for other household items. I mostly use one shopping website because I have a prime membership and it’s really convenient and sometimes I use those which are prominent for clothing,” says 24-year-old Tresnor Menezes from St Estevam. He also admits that he would rather not go out to buy things in person unless it was incredibly urgent.
Interacting with salespeople and having someone constantly keep an eye on you as you browse is daunting for many people. Some tend to stress buying things they don’t need or even want. Shopping online grew extremely popular due to the influence of the pandemic and social distancing when young people began to understand the comfort of browsing on shopping websites.
Online shopping has a place for everything. Readers can buy books, fashion lovers can buy clothes, thrifters can compare prices on various platforms and foodies can buy food. The launch of food ordering apps in India particularly, was a banging success to say the least. Right off the bat, offering several types of coupons, giving seasonal discounts, collaborating with banks and making it more customer friendly, affordability is not low on the list of reasons why it’s convenient to use. The convenience of having food delivered to your doorstep also means that the regular working person now has an immediate source of relief for their daily lunch break and students that live far away from home have an option to fall back on during busy days.
“I do use food apps for different purposes. I use one to order food or quick bites when I am in a rush. When working at a law firm, it was really handy to get dinner delivered when I had to pull late nights. I use another one to look up restaurants—mostly to satisfy a craving or for a specific occasion.” says Rashmita. She also adds, “Shopping online is all about convenience. I can place an order for anything from anywhere without feeling any pressure. It also lets me pause and resume my shopping experience whenever I want. Going physically into stores is a delight when I need a mental break from work and want to give my eyes a rest from screens. Otherwise it all just feels very monotonous.”
Krithika, on the other hand, admits she doesn’t use food delivery apps too often. “I prefer eating out for the experience/ambience along with the food. Generally if I have to order in, it would be if I have friends over and we’re in the mood to chill indoors, watching something on a subscription-based streaming service. I also mostly use these apps to check the menus of the places I’m planning to visit to get an idea of whether I’ll find the food I enjoy there.”
For most that prefer to shop for some things in person, the reasons are due to some degree of concern for quality, pricing and authenticity. The older generation hold more of these concerns, being unused to the modern trends of relying on the internet for almost any menial task. Ultimately, the preference for online shopping varies from person to person and neither choice is wrong when it’s a matter of necessity.
