IMPACT OF E-COMMERCE IN INDIA RETAIL SECTOR

ABSTRACT In India, E-commerce is growing rapidly and is significantly impacting retail due to increased Internet usage and availability of smartphone devices. With e-commerce stores like Amazon and Flipkart, people can shop much more easily and quickly from home with many retailers providing the option to buy and ship items directly to their homes. The availability of e-commerce options has significantly changed how many consumers do their shopping and have increased their preference to utilize e-commerce rather than traditional brick-and-mortar retail stores. The main objective of this study is to look at how e-commerce has transformed India’s retail sector and show how e-commerce will impact consumer buying behaviour. Furthermore, we will look at how traditional retail stores will be affected by the growth of e-commerce and provide information for retail businesses to use when planning their marketing strategies for the future. A descriptive research design was chosen for this study and primary and secondary data were used to collect information. Primary data was gathered using structured questionnaires from 75 participants. Secondary data included information from journals, books, as well as online sources. Percentage analysis and tabular presentation were used to analyse all of the data collected. According to the research findings, consumer preferences when it comes to shopping online are driven by four key elements: ease or convenience; discounts on items; having a larger selection of different types of goods available for purchase; and being able to have purchased items delivered to their homes. In addition, e-commerce has created more competition for brick and mortar retailers while also providing additional business opportunities for retail businesses via digital channels. As such, e-commerce has transformed the way we do our shopping in India, which in turn has enhanced the quality of how we shop as consumers.