Apparel buying needs online-offline approach
Fashion apparels, one of the widely sought-after items in online shopping, needs a different approach than everyday buying, with a blend of both online and offline, said Kamal Khushlani, founder and managing director at apparel firm Mufti.
Participating in a panel discussion on omni-channel storytelling, Khushlani said for his company, there are two aspects to online buying — how you can use it and whether the experience is the same.
“In fashion, you cannot have the same experience. This is one area where it is different from other modes,” he added.
Founded in 1998, Mufti is widely described as a company that provides progressive fashion apparels in casual dressing.
“Online shopping should also be exciting in our business as it is mostly youth-oriented,” Khushlani said. “Online definitely has a disruptive trend. It is also a combination of convenience and discounting. At the same time, we try to ensure that there is conflict among the various channels that we use,” he added.
Easy access to smartphones and rising incomes have changed lifestyles for the young with a majority of them preferring to shop online for their apparel requirements. It also provides them with the opportunity to browse easily through an entire range of products.
However, it is also seen that many customers also prefer to use the online as a preliminary research tool while resorting to physical buying to close the transaction.
The online mode is also seen as resistant to wider economic trends. While a slowdown in physical shopping has been seen recently, a study by Assocham and Price water house Coopers has shown that the Indian e-commerce industry will likely grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 35% and cross the $ 100 billion mark in five years. The Indian e-commerce industry is currently valued at $17 billion.