It’s that time of the year again.
Online retailers in India have kicked off the first leg of their annual festive season sales today (Sept. 20). Prominent e-commerce portals such as Flipkart.com, Amazon.in, Snapdeal.com, Shopclues.com, PaytmMall.com, and Myntra.com, among others, are offering discounts on apparel, electronics, and smartphones that could go up to 80%. The deals get even sweeter with added cashback, buy-back or exchange options, and easy payment methods.
But with all the different discounts, it’s not easy to navigate through the noise. So here’s Quartz India’s guide to making the most of the sale season.
What, where, and when?
From clothes to heavy electronics and mobile phones to gomutra (cow’s urine, which is considered holy by some Hindus), everything will be discounted during these sales. But to avoid unmanageable web traffic on a single day, e-commerce websites are using various strategies:
Flipkart: In the fourth edition of its flagship sale event, Big Billion Days, the Bengaluru-based e-retailer is offering discounts on various products on different dates. On day one (today), there are deals on fashion, home furnishings, and large appliances. From tomorrow, offers will be available on mobilephones, the category with the highest demand, and other fast-moving electronic products like tablets.
Amazon: To tempt more consumers to opt for its membership programme, Amazon Prime, the company has launched its annual discount event, the “Great Indian Festival,” exclusively for Prime customers from noon today. The event will be open to all customers from Sept. 21 till Sept. 24.
Shopclues: The company’s festive season sale, called the “Maha Bharat Diwali Sale,” will outlast those of its larger peers and run from Sept. 20 till Sept. 28.
Paytm Mall: The e-commerce arm of India’s largest digital payments company, Paytm, will host its “Mera Cashback Sale” for only three days, starting on Sept. 20. The company will host flash sales, when cashback amounts will be even higher, from 2pm to 6pm and 8pm to midnight every day.
Most bang for your buck
In case deep discounts are not enough to lure customers, e-commerce portals have tied up with banks, financial institutions, and digital wallet companies to offer deals that could give consumers more bang for their buck. They are also offering “No Cost EMI” across thousands of products.
Flipkart: In the fourth edition of its flagship sale event, Big Billion Days, the Bengaluru-based e-retailer is offering discounts on various products on different dates. On day one (today), there are deals on fashion, home furnishings, and large appliances. From tomorrow, offers will be available on mobilephones, the category with the highest demand, and other fast-moving electronic products like tablets.
Amazon: To tempt more consumers to opt for its membership programme, Amazon Prime, the company has launched its annual discount event, the “Great Indian Festival,” exclusively for Prime customers from noon today. The event will be open to all customers from Sept. 21 till Sept. 24.
Shopclues: The company’s festive season sale, called the “Maha Bharat Diwali Sale,” will outlast those of its larger peers and run from Sept. 20 till Sept. 28.
Paytm Mall: The e-commerce arm of India’s largest digital payments company, Paytm, will host its “Mera Cashback Sale” for only three days, starting on Sept. 20. The company will host flash sales, when cashback amounts will be even higher, from 2pm to 6pm and 8pm to midnight every day.
Most bang for your buck
In case deep discounts are not enough to lure customers, e-commerce portals have tied up with banks, financial institutions, and digital wallet companies to offer deals that could give consumers more bang for their buck. They are also offering “No Cost EMI” across thousands of products.