Consumers don't want govt to ban online discounts: Survey

About 72% of consumers have said that they do not want the government to ban or intervene in the discounts offered on e-commerce platforms, according to the survey conducted by community social media platform LocalCircles. As per the survey, online shopping has become mainstream in India with 49% of consumers taking to this channel in the last 12 months.

Findings

Over 82,000 consumers from 394 districts had responded to the survey in India. Among the responses, 62% were from men, while the rest were from women.

The majority of consumers use online channels increasingly because they have found them to be safe and convenient. Online retailers offering competitive prices with the ease of return make it more attractive.

Around 72% of consumers do not want the government to ban or restrict or intervene in sales on e-commerce platforms, the survey reported.

Consumers have said that these sales make purchasing more affordable and allow them to save more, which is of great importance during these difficult times.

The survey comes amid consumer concerns that the government’s proposed amendments to the Consumer Protection (eCommerce) rule 2020 may restrict sales on online sites.

The draft e-commerce rules released on June 21 by the government banned the fraudulent flash sale and mis-selling of goods and services on e-commerce platforms. It also made registration of these entities mandatory with the Department for Promotion of Industry.

Around 47% of consumers expect Covid-19 uncertainty to last 6-12 months. They believe it may have an impact on their household budget planning. So, they seek maximum value from every money spent.

The survey also found that about 43% of consumers sought the ‘country of origin’ details while shopping online in the last six months.

However, consumers are split on whether ‘country of origin’ information must be displayed in text or image format on e-commerce platforms, it added.