Shopping to go nowhere

Offers and ease of online shopping (source: Google Images)

The excitement and pride of walking out of a store with a brand new shopping bag now seems like a distant memory. This feeling of joy is replaced with a new kind, the one we experience when we get the text message, ‘Your order is out for delivery.’ Over the years, a section of the population has switched to online shopping for clothes, shoes, bags, and even costume jewellery.

What brought about this change? Because five years ago, online shopping was in uncharted waters.

We do not have to go far. Take your phone and google it. An example: when looking for a pair of white sandals, every conceivable version of white sandals appears on your screen. I was looking for a pair of white sandals and tried a few stores before the lockdown that had one or maybe two of these pairs. With the onset of COVID-19 and lockdown, I casually checked online. I found a vast collection, with fantastic discounts and offers. I could lie in bed and shop without having to deal with the heat and dust of Chennai and her crazy traffic.

But who buys shoes online? You cannot buy shoes without trying them on. Not a problem. Buy three pairs of shoes and send them all back if they are not to your liking. The money comes right back to your credit or debit card.

So how do you pick which site to buy from? Well, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) does that for you. Suddenly AJIO seems like the best site to buy from! Everyone found that AJIO was the only online store with all the sweet deals for clothes, especially during the lockdown. We were buying clothes we didn’t need, with no place to go to either. AJIO belongs to Reliance, and just like various sectors, they have taken over the online shopping scene too.

Flash Deals offered by AJIO

A day after the initial tension of multiple lockdowns had eased, I walked into the Reliance Trends store and found a dress I liked and decided to buy it. While I was standing at the billing counter, I thought to myself, ‘I will be super annoyed if I find this dress on AJIO for less.’ I got home and quickly checked the site and lo and behold! I found the dress for half the price. I also found a couple of pieces of clothing that I owned, sold at much cheaper prices online!

With the lockdown completely eased, I have no idea if AJIO will continue to offer such sweet deals but during the lockdown, this was a smart move played by Reliance.

Editors: V Samyuktha, Evita Vincy