A Guide To Online Shopping Trends And Expert Tips For A Smart Shopping Experience

Sanjay Desai has always scoffed at the idea of buying things one hasn't seen with one's eyes or held in one's hands. He had little faith in the quality or durability of furniture, electronics, clothing, and home appliances bought off e-commerce sites.

"Because I am over 60 and asthmatic, my daughter and son-in-law insist I don't go out to buy groceries. I was advised to check out online grocery sellers such as Big Basket, Amazon Fresh, Amazon Pantry, JioMart, Grofers, and even Swiggy Stores. Besides overcoming a major mental block, I had to get used to the process of shopping online, downloading apps, creating an account, setting up a payment method, and choosing the right products from the sheer variety available. I've come a long way in a few short months," he shares. "With Diwali round the corner, I look forward to buying winter clothes for my younger grandchild and a Kindle for the elder one, not to mention a silk saree for my wife."

Let's claim the festive spirit by taking advantage of the enticing discounts on popular e-commerce sites.

Here are some smart online shopping tips and interesting gift ideas to let your friends and family know you're thinking of them this Diwali.

Ace the grocery game

We asked London-based techie Sneha Rao, Chennai homemaker Usha Sathish, and TK Vijayaraghavan, a retired bank employee residing in Hyderabad,  one question: What has been your biggest online purchase?

They all gave the same answer, groceries. Online vendors and agri-tech companies are offering competitive prices, quick delivery times, and customer-friendly refund policies, spurring many to buy their monthly provisions online.

"Yes, we have had to deal with wilted coriander leaves and ripened veggies. But if we are quick with our complaints regarding quality, the sellers are prompt with the refund, says Karthik Venkatesh," a Bengaluru-based software professional.

Smart tip: What's Diwali without a festive spread of sweets and savories? To get all the ingredients well in time for your feast, pay attention to the shipping details of your online orders. Choose items that can be delivered on or before your target date. If shipping charges can be avoided by reaching a specified billing amount, then hold some items in your cart till you can combine them with another order and hit that magic number.

You can save quite a bit on groceries by using digital wallets such as Paytm, MobiKwik, or Google Pay, especially when they offer discounts or cashback. Grocery coupons are also a great idea. Look for retailer-specific coupon codes or check websites such as CouponDunia, GrabOn, CashKaro, or Nearbuy for great deals.

Gift ideas: A box of assorted chocolates, wholesome dry fruits, or artisanal bakes. You could also send your homemade sweets to loved ones through Dunzo or Swiggy.

Make life easier for yourself

"Between housework, office work, and supervising children's school work, I can't spare time for basic chores. I could get cooking and washing done, but dishes and dust kept piling up. We decided to get ourselves a dishwasher, a vacuum cleaner, and a good-quality mop. The dishwasher has been a real lifesaver! And my husband and children enjoy vacuuming around the house during weekends. I'd say we are doing pretty okay by ourselves now," quips Mahita Raju, a working mom with two school children.

Smart tips: Make the most of the steep discounts offered by several online retailers during the festive season to buy household and kitchen appliances.

• Use price-tracking sites such as Price Trackers, BuyHatke, and Price History. Set up notifications to know when a product goes on a lightning sale or through a price drop.
• Compare prices of a product across major online retailers by using apps/websites, such as Junglee, MySmartPrice, Smartprix, and PriceDekho.
• Prices of products can change based on your location and browsing history, time of the day/day of the week, and device used (Mac or MS/iOS or Android). Check the same product out on multiple devices, in the app, and on the retailer's website.
• If you're planning to buy an expensive TV or any other big-ticket home improvement appliance, use the incognito mode on your browser to mask your interest in the product. E-commerce sites increase prices based on your browsing history, but when you use incognito tabs, they don't store cookies. Also, clear the cache and cookies regularly.
• If you let items sit in your cart under the Save for Later option, the seller app/website sometimes notifies you of price drops to clinch the deal.

Gift ideas: Gift vouchers; small kitchen appliances (e.g., blenders, toasters, sandwich makers, vegetable choppers, and electric whisks); and home decor items (e.g., personalized posters, artwork, or artifacts).

Make yourself comfortable at home.

With work-from-home (WFH) becoming the new normal, comfortable workstations have become a necessity. Aswini Sundaresan, an IT professional living in Chennai, says she invested in a chair, monitor, keyboard, and mouse to convert the single workstation in her home into two fully equipped ones for herself and her husband.

Several parents are purchasing printers and extra laptops/digital devices for their children's schoolwork. Take advantage of the upcoming festive sales to make comfortable work/study arrangements at home. Also, it's not a bad idea to put your Diwali bonus into getting that bookshelf you always wanted or replacing the low cot and awful spring mattress that keep giving you a backache!

Smart tips: Sift through product information thoroughly. Most online furniture sellers (e.g., Urban Ladder and Pepperfry) and websites of well-known furniture chains post several photos and detailed product descriptions. Some also have a feature that lets you see how a piece of furniture looks or fits in your home.

• Take the time to go through all the details, especially the product dimensions, material, warranty, and guarantee.
• Fish out the measuring tape to size up the space earmarked for the furniture you plan to buy. You don't want pointy corners of your brand-new desk jutting out and injuring your toddler on their runs through the house.

While buying electronics or peripherals, pay close attention to user reviews.

Ignore reviews that:

• are overwhelmingly positive or negative
• merely summarize product features instead of explaining how a feature worked for the user
• sound like they were written by the same user
• are part of a flurry of reviews posted in a short time
• give too much or too little info about the reviewer or use generic profile names
• have too many technical terms or grammatical/spelling mistakes

Take a review seriously when it:

• reflects a widely held opinion of a product feature
• is linked to a purchase on the site (e.g., Amazon Verified reviews)
• compares a product experience with other products
• gives a middle-ground rating

Check the return/replacement/refund policy that applies to your product of choice: What is the deadline for return? What are the conditions required? Will there be any charges? Will the refund be in cash or as store credits?

Gift ideas: Stay connected with your loved ones by getting them mobile phones or tablets. Ward off their boredom by gifting them a Chromecast or Fire TV Stick, music players like Saregama Carvaan or Amazon Echo, and a subscription to OTT services such as Netflix, Disney Hotstar, or Prime Video.

Dress comfy chic

Even on the fashion front, comfort has been the buzzword. And there's no time like Diwali to buy apparel.

Smart tips: The sheer number, price range, and variety of clothes can make fashion e-commerce overwhelming.

• Use the Filter option to first narrow the search down to a product category, price range, attribute (color, size, style, etc.), brands, and availability. For example, if you're looking for a lavender-colored long-sleeved kurta-sharara set in cotton, choose the respective attributes under Filter.
• Next, use the Sort option to customize the results. For example, under Sort, you can select Price: Low to High or What's New.

Together, these two powerful tools help you zero in on the product that perfectly suits your needs.

Size guides are incredibly important when buying clothes or footwear. Use an inch tape to measure yourself and run the numbers against the product's size guide (which differs with brand and style). The last thing you want is an ill-fitting dress gathering dust in your closet.

Gift ideas: Handloom or cruelty-free fabrics and clothing, customized T-shirts.

Live greener and healthier

Lavanya Sethumadhavan, a Chennai-based software professional, adopts the non-toxic, sustainable route to cooking and skincare. "I did a kitchen revamp, opting for cast-iron and clay/earthen cookware. I also bought skincare products, such as Multani mitti, orange peel powder, and neem powder, from a trusted zero-waste vendor on Instagram," she says. Lavanya also invested heavily in fitness, buying a good-quality bicycle and cycling gear.

Smart tip: Check if the sellers are real and reliable. User reviews (positive and negative), customer ratings, verifiable address and contact info, and a clear return policy are all indicators of authenticity. With sellers of niche products increasingly taking to Instagram, Facebook, or WhatsApp, a background check is imperative.

Gift ideas: Promote healthier living among your loved ones by giving them activity trackers such as Fitbit or Mi Band, yoga mats, a set of weights, sneakers, or indoor sporting equipment. To help them de-stress, gift them indoor plants, gardening equipment, indoor games, and puzzles.

Many of us are paying much more attention to home and hearth, body and mind than ever before. This Diwali, shop smart and invest in the right things to stay safe, healthy, and happy.