Myntra – or was it Amazon, I'm not sure – announced yet another sale by way of an annoying ad in the middle of my favourite word puzzle app. I thought to myself what, why? It isn't Diwali or Christmas/New Year (those two main excuses for partying) or even January/August (with its various ‘freedom’ sales). What festival do we have in April that needs people to go on a shopping spree? Turns out, these are the Ugadi /Gudi Padwa sales.
Myntra is one online shopping portal that seems to have some or other sale going on all the time. A festive sale, freedom sale, EOS (end of season for the uninitiated) that offers ‘flat’ X% off, brand sales, two-for-one offers etc. And they make it really easy: buy for X amount, get shipping free. Buy more than one item, get an additional discount. Don’t want it? Doesn’t fit? Changed your mind? Send it back – no hassle.
So, the discounts make it all very attractive and put one into that what-do-I-have-to-lose frame of mind/ So, before you know it, you’ve ordered two pairs of jeans, a trendy kurta, a smart shirt, and three pairs of shoes. Actually, you came looking for a scarf as a gift for someone.
As for the many Amazon and Flipkart sales, it’s great that they acknowledge various regional festivals but sitting here in Delhi I hadn’t really given a thought to shopping for Ugadi or Gudi Padwa (celebrated as New Year in several Indian states). But now, I see “Up To 40% Off On Mobile Phones, Smart TVs And Other Electronics” emblazoned in in-app ads and even ‘news stories’ so I am tempted. Buy now rather than later. Buy things simply because the price seems irresistible. Buy because it’s handy for gifting at some later date. Buy more because the discount increases and you're paying ‘less’.
Big Basket also draws you into the ‘Fit Kitchen’, the ‘Half Price Store’, the ‘Season’s Favourites’, the ‘Home Essentials’. Before I know it, I’ve added a bunch of other stuff to the weekly groceries. I now have six packs of some over-priced (but admittedly delicious) dried berries in my kitchen and I'm really not sure why I thought I needed so much of the stuff.
The clever marketing will reel us in; it is meant to. It’s what drives the engine of commerce after all. Products are created so that people will buy them. Companies make a profit, people find employment, and the buyer finds gratification. And even when you buy from Amazon, you're not really buying from Jeff Bezos; you're giving custom to (mostly) some small-time Indian entrepreneur trying to make a living. So what’s wrong with it all? Well, nothing so long as you one keeps a few things in mind:
If it seems too good to be true, it isn't. There are a lot of fake good sellers out there. Not just for the brand conscious, this is important for all of us. Cheap knockoffs passed off as the real thing may be of substandard quality and could have safety issues. So beware of deals that seem too good and don’t blindly trust a new or unknown site – particularly if they're asking for prepayment.
Remember, the ‘sales’ are mostly clever marketing to make us buy more. Do you ever buy the stuff you actually need during these sales? Me neither. I need a new mixie but the one I want isn't on sale so I end up buying new sheets, some nice nonstick pans and this really comfy beanbag – none of which I need or planned to buy.
Studies show that the big sales don’t really have ‘amazing’ discounts on the day. A study found that during all these e-commerce sales, the average selling price of products on e-commerce websites on sale days drops only by about 17%. Everyday price fluctuations may give you deals nearly as good on non-sale days.
So try to resist the many, many online temptations out there – particularly difficult when one is working from home, I know. Make a list and stick to it. Avoid impulse buying (if you have an iron will; full disclosure, I don’t). Don’t save your credit card information on the website for ‘easy checkout’; make it a little less easy to shop indiscriminately. Don’t click on the ads. Set yourself a spending limit for the week or month. Be strong! Now if only I could take my own advice…
Do you have something interesting you would like to share? Write to us at [email protected]
