Gifting in India: Moving online, towards registries
New Delhi, May 22: Whether it is persolised products or the mundane flowers and chocolates, experiential pampering or innovative surprises, the world of gifting has undergone a metamorphosis in India over the years, courtesy the booming online space. Now, gift registries are poised to become the next big thing, says an industry expert. Indians, says Nischint Sanghavi, co-founder of Wrapp’d - a one-of-its-kind online gift registry and curated shopping website - are moving away from gifting what they like to give people and are increasingly taking a step forward to present what the host desires. And this is where registries can play an important role.
Asked about the changes he sensed in the Indian market when it comes to gifting, Sanghavi said the “entire consumer market in India has gone through this transition of moving online during the last two years”. “Even traditiol companies, which were reluctant initially, have embraced this move. In the gifting space, this has happened with more casual gifts like flowers and chocolates moving online. A lot of gift card companies are also offering products online now,” Sanghavi told IANS.
The concept is already seeping in. From having endless number of artefacts to culiry items, Ria Malhotra, who got married last year, was inundated with presents out of which only a few were of use to her. She says using a gift registry could have been a blessing. For now, she is waiting for some of her friends to get married soon to pass on some of the gifts. In another case, Shweta Goswami had to attend a wedding but had no time to buy a gift, courtesy her long office hours. The dotcom world came in handy!
The whole world of gifting is going under a transformation with several people opting for a virtual route to find and send gifts. There are cake, card and bouquet combos for birthdays or anniversaries, quirky or wacky products, customised items and well-thought gift boxes. From fashion, beauty, lifestyle, décor, well-planned outdoor trips - you me them and you can spot them online. And it’s all a few clicks away! Indians might still have time to get used to the concept where guests can pick up gifts from a pre-set list of items, it is a widely popular concept abroad especially for weddings.
So, what’s the next step in India?
“The next move for the gifting industry is to move away from cash gifts or gift cards which have a low emotiol value to more emotiolly valuable and desired gifts. (IANS)