Shedding its conservative shopping habits, Chennai has embraced Internet commerce with a vengeance thanks to the IT savvy generation" Among Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, which together constitute 40 per cent of the total business, Chennai tops the list in the number of Internet transactions,& said Arindam Bose, MD of retail portal Timtara.com.

Most e-retailers have reported an increase in online buying from South India, particularly from Chennai, which they say is up by 15 per cent compared to last year. A report of eBay says that Chennai is the only Southern city to have found a place in the top five destinations doing online transactions.

"Chennai has always been keen to adopt new technologies owing to its increased awareness of these concepts. Hence, despite its conservative outlook, it has been able to embrace Internet commerce with ease as people here understand the technology better, said a senior associate with Indiaplaza.in.

Though mobile phones, electronic items and books are the most transacted items on the Net, items like shirts, apparels, jewellery and even shoes are being bought online. "I have even bought apparels and umbrellas apart from mobile phones and electronic accessories," says Mr Dinakar. "Shopping online is convenient as it saves time and can get the best deal of the day," he vouches.

"Deals are the key reason why people prefer to shop online,” said Mr Arindam. Explaining the logic behind these bargain offers, IT consultant Mr Avinash said, “Online retailers have the advantage of not having to stock things which is a huge savings. This they offset by offering deals."


Source: June 12, 2011, Deccan Chronicle