subject: Daily Deal Websites In India [print this page] Bargaining is in the genetic makeup of Indians. Given that this is a country whose citizens simply scoff at boards that read no bargaining in retail stores, it is hardly surprising that the concept of daily deals got on like a house on fire with the nations denizens. Deals that give consumers up to to 90% off on various products and services within a city are offers that will seldom be turned down.
Daily deal websites in India are a sprouting business that is yet to mature. More than 30 daily deal websites are up and running in the country that cater to the people living in Indias leading metropolises. These websites deploy savvy marketing personnel to strike lucrative deals with product and service providers in the city, and then present these deals to their customers. Besides providing unbelievable deals, these sites also serve as guides who familiarize people with the city in which they live. Browsing through the contents of these websites makes one aware of the various recreational options available, reliable salon services and the like.
In India, SnapDeal is synonymous with daily deal websites. SnapDeal is increasingly being dubbed as Indias Groupon. SnapDeal now functions in an impressive range of cities, both big and small, across India, and is known to offer deals of upto 90% off on quality products and services in the cities in which it serves.
Discount India, SevaMela, Naaptol, Jeetle, Khojguru, 99Labels and numerous other daily deal websites have set up shop in Indian cities, swimming against the tide to clinch alluring deals with quality service providers in the city.
MyDala is a group buying website that currently functions in collaboration with more than 60 businesses, including restaurants, branded retail stores, services, events, recreational services, salons and spas. DealsAndYou is yet another group buying site that currently operates in Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai.
Small and medium entrepreneurs who seek to foray into this sector face stiff competition from existing giants. Only the most resilient stand by themselves and steadily grow in popularity to taste success, while many others give in to competition and merge with a bigger company or quietly pull out. Groupon is all geared to make a grand entrance into the country with Crazeal.com (the revamped version of SoSasta.com that was bought by Groupon earlier this year), and this is bound to have a deep impact on the daily deals scene in the country.
No tool of marketing has been left unturned. Indians are inundated with spam mail and advertorial smses of such websites that try to make loyal customers out of them. Social media is also being exploited to give these companies all the mileage that they can get. However, daily deals websites in India cater to an elite minority. It is a country of bustling marketplaces where every required product is available at economical rates, and the percentage of people who actually shop online or use the Internet for purposes other than basic browsing and checking their email is quite low. The future of this business is an as yet unchartered zone.
