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Raksha Bandhan: Why go out when you can e-shop, have Rakhi delivered too
Raksha Bandhan approaches fast and the city markets are already brimming with Rakhis
Raksha Bandhan approaches fast and the city markets are already brimming with Rakhis. After two years the markets are back to normal but Rakhi sellers are yet to record satisfactory sales. One reason for that could be that a lot of customers prefer to shop online, given that it is less time-consuming and pocket-friendly.
“The markets are slow and we aren’t seeking the sale as we expected after two years of lockdown,” said Shivam Agarwal, owner of Mohan Bhai Rakhi Wale, Rakabganj, Lucknow.
Expressing dissatisfaction with people preferring online markets he said, “More than 10,000 sellers all over the UP are associated with me. Out of which 80% of them have not turned up. They feared a diminished demand for Rakhis, and also that the cops may not allow stalls on roads.”
“People switching to e-shopping are lured with benefits and they earn 100% margin on each sale as a Rakhi cost ₹20 is being sold online at min 150,” he added.
“Due to Covid-19, people developed a habit of sitting at home and purchasing online. Even though the e-commerce market in India is less than 5%, it is still a huge number,” said Nitin Jain, founder of a Jaipur-based gifting company ‘Indigifts’.
Rakhis by post costly, time-consuming
Sending Rakhi by post or courier is proving to be more expensive than e-commerce delivery. Rakhis can be sent across India starting from ₹160 including delivery charges on Amazon. On Flipkart, rakhis can be sent anywhere in India for a minimum of ₹100, free delivery.
According to the Indian Post website, a packet of around 200 grams will cost between ₹47- ₹100 (including taxes). The price gets higher depending upon the distance and weight of the product.
There are also multiple online start-ups in the state, which are selling Rakhis online and targeting customers through social media with advantages such as discounts, added gifts like Lori, rice and sweets along with the Rakhi.
“For the last few years, I’ve been shopping for a Rakhi for my brother in Lucknow online, as it is cheaper and consumes less time as well. I do not have the time to go out in the market and then post it through courier. More than expense, it’s the time which is important,” said Ayushi Srivastava, who is working in Bengaluru.
“Till a few years back, Raksha Bandhan was a period when I used to be busy delivering Rakhis the whole day. However, in recent years it has significantly dropped,” said a postman outside the Daliganj post office.
More variety online, Rakhis inspired from web series more in demand
In the time of customisation, there are multiple customised rakhis on sale online. Famous characters from web series are becoming hugely popular among the masses. Popular web series like Money Heist and Hollywood characters like Captain America and other superhero characters are getting popular among youngsters. Customised rakhis with name and colour are also available. Various online stores also sell Rakhis you can plant and herbal Rakhis. Kanpur-based Phool.com and Jaipur-based Indigifts.
“We’re the pioneer of seed Rakhi and it is in great demand ever since it came on the market,” said Nitin Jain. “The handmade ones with the stones and photo rakhis are also in huge demand. e-commerce has given a platform to small businesses and artists to spread their work across the globe,’’ says Poonam Khandelwal, founder of Lucknow-based start-up ‘The craft Nook’ having over 65k followers on Instagram.
