Online festival sale zooms by 117%

Online festival sales jumped by a whopping 117 per cent to Rs 115 crore (Rs 1.15 billion)  from Rs 53 crore (Rs 530 million)  in 2004-2005 as a larger number of Indians shopped via Internet during the 2005-06 festive season, a study reported.

According to the study published by the Internet and Mobile Association of India, sales through the Internet crossed over 8,10,000 transactions in three weeks delivering a 135 per cent increase.

This figure is three times more than what was recorded in 2004-05, the study added.

''Effective customer communications on a

range of products besides reduced shipping costs and timely delivery has increased consumer confidence in shopping on the Internet,'' the study revealed.

''E-commerce revenues having crossed the Rs 1180 crore (Rs 11.80 billion) mark for 2005-06, and a growing internet user base, currently at over 32 million, has resulted in a sparkling Diwali and Eid,'' IAMAI president Preeti Desai said.

The increased consumer confidence in shopping from the Internet comes from the ''Younger Super Internet Consumers who will push Internet sales to levels most people are not likely to believe,'' she added.