INDIAN ONLINE SHOPPING AND INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING HURDLES TO OVERCOME
E-commerce is a beauty that makes the market genuinely borderless. Indian trends are gaining popularity & global shoppers are noticing Indian online stores more often. Apart from the international NRI community that is always most enthusiastic about Indian products, other shoppers worldwide also approach Indian shopping sites offering low prices for high-quality products like clothing & accessories. So those who tend to do online shopping here have an international shipping assistant who helps them ship their purchases from India.
E-commerce is a commercial transaction that happens over the internet in four different ways like Business to Business (B2B), Business to Consumers (B2C), Consumers to Consumers (C2C), and Consumers to Business (C2B).
International Shipping involves importing and exporting goods between countries by air, road & ocean. It is a complex process accompanied by many rules & regulations which businesses must follow. Some countries follow stricter policies in International shipping than others. E.g., Canada has a list of prohibited items to import and imposes tariffs on specific goods.
The laws, regulations, time zone, language barriers, and currency exchanges make international shipping more complex than domestic shipping.
A shipping policy is usually a concise document or webpage that outlines essential information like shipping costs & methods, delivery times, and more when an order is placed online.
Some of the restricted items that Shopwave cannot ship includes:
Alcoholic drinks, dangerous commodities, drones, dry ice, drugs and narcotics, costliest jewellery, explosives, blood samples, antiquities and works of art, any liquids, bacteria and virus samples, and tobacco products ( cigarettes, cigars, etc.), fireworks, Original passport, perfumes, Weapons and ammunitions, radioactive substances, precious metals, needle, medicines, magnets, etc. To view more, Check the List of Prohibited items.
Some of the most popular items that NRIs from outside India would like to purchase online include:
Pashmina Shawls from Kashmir, Phulkari work Garments or Bolster from Punjab, Himachali Caps from Himachal Pradesh, a Range of Jewellery from Delhi, Jaipuri Quilts from Rajasthan, Brassware from Uttar Pradesh, Chikan work Bedsheets & Table clothes from Uttar Pradesh, Chanderi saree from Madhya Pradesh, Mekhla Chadar & Gamcha from Assam, Pearl Jewellery from Telangana, Mysore Silk and Bidri Items from Karnataka, Tea, Ayurvedic products, Books and many more.
Some of the top-selling online shopping products through e-commerce websites are as follows.
Apparel- Apparels in India include clothes for men and women, including children's wear, and have integrated clothing and garments along with the option of customization to create uniqueness among the rest. Market leaders in the Indian Apparel Industry include Biba, W, Fab India, and many more.
Footwear- Men and women are interested in buying footwear and can find top brands that are popular among customers. Online shopping has become one of the best places to find footwear, including shoes, sandals, sneakers, slippers, etc. The market leaders for the Indian footwear industry include myntra.com, crocs.com & more.
Consumer Electronics- Smartphones sold by India's leading e-commerce giants like Flipkart, snap deal, and Amazon over the years. Other categories include laptops, pen drives, digital cameras, power banks, etc. As long as technology keeps improving, the demand for consumer electronics will be unstoppable. The market leaders in the Indian electronics industry include Beetel, Bharat Electronics, BPL, Godrej etc
Fashion Accessories- Fashion lovers purchase accessories online like bags, matching purses, cell phone covers, hats, watches, and other travel accessories. The market leaders in the fashion industry include instyle.com, fashionandyou.com, limeroad.com, craftsvilla.com, and many more.
Food, Health & Beauty Supplements- People nowadays search for weight loss products and other detox items which are getting popular over time. Market leaders in Food & Health Industry include Bigbasket.com, grofers.com, amway.com, Herbalife.co.in, and many more.
Online shopping is constantly rising along with international shopping from India. People switch to online shopping because of the low prices, easy returns, convenience, and many other factors. An International shopper who wants to shop from Indian sites faces many hurdles. This is where a shopping concierge-like the Shopwave, plays a vital role like a personal assistant who will do all the shopping for you.
International customers must go through the 10 hurdles while shopping online from India.
Payment Issues: Most International customers face problems during checkout because Indian shopping sites require their customers to pay in Indian currency to place an order successfully. These need an Indian bank account, Indian card, or other payment methods like Google pay, Paytm, Paypal, and many more. With the help of personal assistants like Shopwave, shopping becomes easy.
International Delivery: Many retailers in India restrict them to the domestic market rather than international shipping. There are transportation costs, taxes & duties that provide a lot of worries for both seller and buyer. A shopping concierge will take care of everything until the products arrive at the buyer's address.
Return or Exchange policies: Most sellers provide free and fast return policies to customers who boost their sales. A shopping concierge is strongly recommended for international shoppers as the return or exchange policies are pretty complicated.
Packaging Quality: The packaging quality of products should be taken care of for long journeys to avoid the risk of theft, delays, damage, and several other factors.
Phone Number & Address: Indian shopping sites require Indian phone numbers and an Indian address to deliver the order. This becomes a big hurdle for international shoppers. A shopping concierge, in that case, can be of help.
Tax & Duties: The shipment of packages needs to be cleared by both customs & carriers, which is also subject to the origin and destination country's duties & taxes. The personal assistant for shopping like shop wave can handle taxes & duties.
Lack of Security: Nowadays, data security is a big issue for those who shop online, exposing their financial information to the seller. The buying concierge, Shopwave, will ensure that all your information is secured from online fraud.
Authentication of products: A shopping concierge is an expert in identifying authentic products online. The availability of authentic goods online at a meager price may be false.
Shipping costs & delays: One can easily calculate the shipping charges with the help of a personal assistant like Shopwave for International shopping.
Restricted Items: People from outside India who are NRIs like to shop from Indian shopping sites. During festivals or celebrations, they purchase ethnic outfits, jewelry, snacks, gifts or pooja items, and many more. Some of these items get restricted from exporting from India.
Conclusion
The ever-evolving technology presents an excellent opportunity for purchasers globally to save from the massive Indian online market hurdles. Having a shopping assistant to attend to all the challenges associated with worldwide purchasing is a dream for NRIs.
Shopwave's assistants for shopping are experts who can assist buyers with online shopping and shipping from India worldwide.