Amazon pips Flipkart as India’s top shopping destination, survey finds

Amazon India has been voted the country’s most preferred ecommerce website in 2014, according to the People’s Choice Survey conducted by cashback and coupons site CashKaro.com.

“Amazon.in wore the crown of the most popular website. Cashback and deals were the favored factors to shop online among consumers,” said Swati Bhargava, co-founder of CashKaro.com. “This year the industry was abuzz with fresh funding of close to US$3.9 billion among top e-retailers, the Flipkart-Myntra merger, and mega sale days like GOSF, Flipkart’s Big Billion Day, and more.”

Flipkart, Snapdeal, Myntra, Jabong, and ShopClues were the other websites preferred by Indian customers for their online shopping needs.

According to the survey, the factors which encouraged consumers to opt for online shopping are discounted prices, variety of choices, convenience, payment options, and easy return policies. A study by Assocham-PwC revealed that the average annual spending by Indians toward online purchases is expected to rise to INR 10,000 (US$157) in 2015, a rise of 67 percent from INR 6,000 (US$94). The Indian ecommerce industry, which is valued at US$17 billion, has been growing at a compounded annual growth rate of about 35 percent each year. It is expected to cross the US$100 billion mark in five years.

Across various verticals, Flipkart emerged as the favored destination for mobile phones and accessories, while Amazon India led the survey for laptops and electronics. Buyers preferred Myntra and Jabong for their fashion and accessories needs, while Zivame was the top choice for lingerie, the survey showed.

Shopping festivals offered deals and discounts in the latter half of 2014, with all the major players involved. Google’s Great Online Shopping Festival emerged on top, in terms of deals and offers, with 42 percent of the respondents voting in favor of the search giant. Flipkart’s Big Billion Day, which created a buzz for the wrong reasons, was a close second with 40 percent. Snapdeal’s Big Savings Day received only 10 percent of the votes. Eight percent of the respondents shopped on various portals, particularly during the festive period of Diwali.

The People’s Choice Survey is an annual report by CashKaro.com, which identifies key trends in online shopping in India. The survey was conducted across India with 2,000 online shoppers. 85 percent of the respondents were aged 18 to 30.

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