E-enabling Valentine's Day
Maybe it's time we adapted the age-old love signs to our changing times. The mouse may very well replace Cupid's arrow piercing two hearts. The other day, I was sitting in a cyber cafe and couldn't help but notice groups of young kids chatting and sending mail. And all to people they've met on the Net.
The Internet has forever changed our lives. Including ways and means of falling in love. Now Cupid's arrows are redundant with love a mouse click away. For all you know, very soon the Internet will become the modern 'avatar' of good old Saint Valentine. If love became logical, psychologists would be out of business. The latest e-commerce trends certainly look poised to exploit and play this sentiment to the hilt.
Everyday, somewhere in the world, somebody's 'falling in love'. And for all those lovers, old and young, February 14 is oh so special. It's Valentine's Day. In the past this meant you had to rush to buy the first item that succinctly conveyed the eternal nature of your devotion to your beloved. Now the Internet ensures that Valentines Day means something different. And e-tailing is how you do it.
According to industry watchers, e-commerce is supposed to make our life easier. Valentine's Day provides the perfect commercial event to prove their case. Now all that is required to fulfil your soul-mate's romantic requirements is to hop online and order an item over the Web, without leaving the confines of your office. The days of over-watered and decayed roses purchased at a traffic signal, as a last minute afterthought are over. Over the years, Internet retailing has offered a variety of gift-shopping strategies to shoppers and this Valentine's Day is no exception.
According to a survey conducted by leading professional services firm Ernst & Young, 29 percent of online shoppers, or 11.3 million Americans, purchased their Valentine's Day gifts over the Net last year. The survey said that 38 percent of these online buyers had previously purchased fragrances and cosmetics on the Net, while 29 percent had previously bought flowers. Last year, an estimated 7-million red roses changed hands in UK alone. And in Japan 65 percent of Internet users, made online purchases to celebrate the occasion. This year the figure stands a good chance of being doubled, thanks to India joining the e-tailing bandwagon.
Hand-written notes long been passe. Our schedule ensures that few have time to spare for such luxuries these days. Virtual greeting sites and florists have come to our rescue. This year Indian sites are gearing up to unite lovers and loved ones by providing them with newer and better options. Almost every portal has some Valentine's Day specific contests in the offing, with attractive love coupons and gift hampers for you and your sweetheart.
The occasion presents a good opportunity to get published online. You can pen poetry, narrate the first encounter with your beloved, or solve a crossword puzzle and even post messages as to why Valentines Day is your best or worst day in the whole year. Not only do you stand a good chance to win something exciting and scintillating, but you can also make new friends through chat and message boards, who'll share your sentiments and your dilemmas, and may even become your Valentine next year!
Kolkata-based gift site NoShutters.com is planning a Valentine's Day Unplugged. It has already initiated this unique offer on-site from 2 February. For the first time in the history of Indian e-shopping, www.noshutters.com is launching customized gifts on its site. Savita Parik, Head of E-tailing explained, "We want our patrons to say it with personalized products and services rather than the run-of-the-mill flowers, chocolates or music, which in any case is there on our site."
For starters, you can arrange with NoShutters to serenade your beloved on their doorstep. It also helps you choose the surprise or plan for your loved one an exclusive 'customized half hour music session'. The service includes a person actually ringing the door bell of your beloved, at a specified time, and playing love songs on the violin or guitar on your behalf. "This service of course will be on first cum first serve basis, in Calcutta only, as we expect a huge surge in demand" explained Savita.
NoShutters is also offering a wide range of customized gifts such as T- shirts and underwear, on which you can print an A4 size picture, or personal message. You can also choose to print a photo of your beloved on a watch or wall clock. A personal message on a soft toy, or your initials on a silk handkerchief are other scintillating options. NoShutters has also arranged an array of smart hampers for Valentine's Day. You can have your pick from condoms to candles and crystals to cuddly toys. You can also choose from other non-customized but special attractions including bean bags, beer mugs, leather portable bar, perfume, pearl and gold plated jewellery, brooches, figurines, crystal decorative and above all, heart shaped chocolates for your lovely Valentine.
Launched 5 months ago, NoShutters.com, is India’s first Hyper mart with nearly 2000 branded products in 255 departments and offers multiple payment options like Master, Visa, American Express, HDFC Direct Debit besides Cash On Delivery (COD) to 25 locations across India, thus ensuring that long-distance and estranged lovers don't feel left out.
However, it pays to keep in mind that e-tailing in India is still at a nascent stage and a dedicated team of experts is required to make it a success. Valentine's Day demands a stricter test of performance and fulfilment capabilities than Christmas, New Year or Diwali, as the target delivery date is only a single day.
Last year many US sites were unable to meet the demands of the high volume of traffic and orders. And the fiasco involved some big names in the electronic greetings card industry like E-greetings, Hallmark and American Greetings. Online florists also fouled up. This failure to deliver the promised goods on time undid untold numbers of romances and left millions of spurned girl friends and wives, and disappointed boyfriends and husbands. So this lovelorn story suggests that e-tailers still have a lot to learn from traditional merchants about customer relationship management.
Here's hoping that our phoren and desi vendors are equipped to handle big surges in demand and this Valentine's Day no more hearts are broken. Even if you can't be there in person, e-tailing promises timely delivery of the essence of your sentiments to your beloved. But don't delay. Book your gifts before it's too late, so that you don't have to say you're sorry on Valentine's Day.
Amrita
Ghosh
[email protected]
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