This is something that I am cogitating for the past few days…why is the number of Online shoppers in India is so low when compared to other countries?
When e-Shopping was introduced in India, the number of players was very low. The penetration of Internet in the country was not great. Availability of credit/debit cards with the people was not great either. So, initially it was a tough time for e-Com companies. But over the years, all these factors have improved considerably but still online buying seems to be in its incipient stage.
If we keep away online travel and ticket booking and online broking, the number of transactions and amount transacted in e-Tailing (Retail) and other parts is not showing big jump. Though it is making constant progression, when compared with the number of new internet connections taken and number of new credit and debit cards taken, the jump in online transactions is quite discouraging.
So, my little research and discussion with people shows me that following reasons make Indians hesitate to buy online. 1) Cannot negotiate / bargain 2) Cannot get the feel of the product / try out 3) Fear about the security of the site 4) Delivery delays 5) Very less variety of options available. So, can we expect the online shopping market to grow if we bring in improvements in these areas? I don’t think so. Even if we improve, it won’t be drastic. We don’t get the sense of satisfaction if we don’t bargain 
and more importantly if we don’t try it out.
Having said all these, even I don’t prefer buying things online in India. When I was in UK, I bought even the most expensive things like my camera and laptop online. In fact I bought many things even from eBay. Where as, here in India, somehow I am not feeling like buying online though many good sites are available.
To avoid queues, may be we are using the online travel ticket booking facilities though they cost a bit more. But, even if it comes for a cheaper price online, we give a second thought about it. I am a perfect example of this. I bought shoes from the shop paying 300 bucks extra when it is available in www.futurebazaar.com for a cheaper price…I felt I should try the shoes before I purchase. And I am bound to think that my fella Indians are like me.
So, what’s your take on this?
